Family Vacation
by Scarlet and Azure
Summary: The sequel of "Family Dinner with The Yoshidas". Tsukuyo's family and Gintoki's family join together for summer vacation. During the vacation, some secrets regarding the two families are discovered.
1. Invitation

**A sequel of "Family Dinner with The Yoshidas", so I suggest you read it first before start reading this. I'm planning on making this chapter by chapter instead of one-shot. This one's going to be a bit long.**

 **GINTAMA DOESN'T BELONG TO ME**

"Tsukuyo... Tsu—ku—yo—"

"What?!" Tsukuyo snapped.

Gintoki blinked. "Come on. What's wrong with that?"

Tsukuyo sighed. "Gintoki, you've seen our condition. You've seen my sister's condition."

"Yeah so?"

Tsukuyo fidgeted. "I don't know. It's just... what if they don't like it?"

"You've met them before. You think they're going to mind it?"

"But my sister..."

"Nonsense. If they can accept you, then they can accept your sister." Tsukuyo went silent and Gintoki looked at her. "So what do you say? Will you and your family join us for the first week of summer vacation?"

"I... I'll ask Nee-san about it. What did your father say about this?"

"My father? He was the one who suggested it. I'm just going along with his idea. Don't worry. Hinowa-san is very kind. She's practically an angel. Seita is also a nice kid. My father and siblings will absolutely like them." He held her hands in his and squeezed them. "There's nothing to worry about."

Tsukuyo smiled softly at her boyfriend. "You're right."

"If anything, I'm worried whether your family will accept MY family."

Tsukuyo chuckled. "Of course they will. Your siblings are all nice and kind in their own way. And your father is such a good person. He is gentle, warm, and kind. Nee-san will definitely like him."

Gintoki grinned. "Ask them whether they want to join us. I'll wait for your answer tonight."

"Alright. But what are you going to do for the first week of summer break?"

"We're just going to the mountain to camp."

"Camping?" Tsukuyo said, a bit worried.

"Don't worry. Though I said camping, we're not really staying outdoor. We have a villa there. It's in the countryside, near the lake and the forest. Though we can go make a tent and stay outdoor if you want. But your sister can stay in the house."

"Alright then."

Gintoki raised his eyebrow. "Have you told Hinowa-san about this?"

"Actually... no... I thought you were joking when you said that your family will have dinner in my house next time."

"But I'm not joking when I say I want your family to join us the next time we gather." He looked her right in the eye. "I want our family to know each other so we can get closer. It's for the future too."

Tsukuyo blushed, her heart pounded against her ribcage and she felt breathless. She remembered what Nobume said the last time she visited Gintoki's house. _"He is serious with you."_

"M-me too... I... I feel the same way." Gintoki smiled gently and kissed her cheek. She felt such a great joy. _What did I do to deserve him?_

* * *

"Nee-san, can I talk to you about something?" Tsukuyo said suddenly during dinner.

"Of course. What is it Tsukuyo?"

"It's about what we're going to do during summer break."

"Summer break!" Seita cheered. "I can't wait!"

Hinowa smiled at him. "You still have to wait for another five days." Seita pouted. "So what is your plan for the holidays Tsukuyo?"

"Actually... it's Gintoki... He and his family invited us to join them in the first week of summer vacation."

Hinowa was surprised. "All of us?"

Tsukuyo nodded. "All of us. You and Seita included."

Hinowa looked torn while Seita looked excited. "We're going to spend early summer break with Gin-nii? Yay! What're we going to do?!"

"We're going camping Seita."

"Camping?" Hinowa asked, surprised.

"Camping?" Seita said, confused.

"Yes. Gintoki's family has a villa on the mountain in the countryside. They're going to spend the first break there and they want us to come as well."

"That sounds fun!" Seita exclaimed enthusiastically. Hinowa still looked down. Tsukuyo knew what she's thinking. Her eyes followed Hinowa's gaze to her legs.

Tsukuyo reached Hinowa's hand and squeezed it. "Don't worry. They already know your condition, so they won't be surprised to see you." Hinowa smiled a little.

"So... what do you say?"

Hinowa looked up. "Hmm? About what?"

"About us going camping with Gintoki's family. As the head of the family, I need your approval."

"Can we go, Mom? Can we?! Can we?!" Seita asked while tugging his mother's sleeve.

Hinowa smiled at them. "Of course. Besides, I'd like to meet Gintoki-kun's family." Tsukuyo smiled in relief and Seita cheered.

"Yay! We're going camping!"

"But you have to finish all your homework before we go" Hinowa added and Seita pouted. Tsukuyo chuckled and nodded.

"Of course Nee-san."

The dinner continued as Seita ate and Hinowa talked about Yoshida family with Tsukuyo. "So what are his siblings like?"

"Well, his oldest brother, Oboro-san looks kind of strict and serious. But he is actually a very nice and polite person. Shinsuke-kun is hard to get along with at first. He seems aloof and rude. Kind of like Gintoki before we dated. But he is actually quite nice in his own way. Kotarou-kun is also nice and polite, though he is... a bit weird... His sister Nobume-chan is also kind of weird, but she's very friendly."

"And his father?"

"Oh, you're going to like him. Shouyou-san is the nicest man I've ever met. He's sweet, warm, friendly, caring and kind. It's just that he..."

"Has charisma, just like Gintoki-kun?"

Tsukuyo smiled. "Yeah. He is charismatic, kind of like Gintoki. At first glance, the two of them look so different from each other. But somehow, I feel like they are very similar inside."

Hinowa chuckled. "Like father like son" she commented. "He seems to be a good man."

Tsukuyo nodded. "He is. And he doesn't look like a man with five grown children. I'm really surprised when I finally met him in person. He looks so young and handsome!"

Hinowa smiled. "Yoshida Shouyou-san right? I would like to meet him."

* * *

At Yoshida residence, Shouyou was reading newspaper in the patio facing the backyard while drinking tea, when he heard Gintoki's voice from the house.

"So, you'll come? Great! I'll tell Dad about it."

Gintoki walked out into the patio and sat beside his father. Shouyou looked at his middle child curiously. "Who is that Gintoki?"

"It's Tsukuyo. She said she and her family would come with us to our villa in the countryside during summer break."

Shouyou smiled. "That's great! The more the merrier. Though we already have many people as it is." He chuckled. "But what is her family like? I heard that she has an older sister, that is all."

"Well, she also has a nephew, who enrolls in our kindergarten."

"Oh, so her sister is married."

"..."

"..."

"No..."

"Oh..." The air suddenly felt a bit cold. "What kind of person is she?" Shouyou asked again, trying to dismiss the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Her sister? She's a kind person. Very nice and friendly. And also very beautiful. But well, she... you know..."

Shouyou nodded. "I know. You've told me about her condition."

"Right... So anyway, she works as a tailor and she's actually quite skilled if I have to say so myself."

"Really? Then I guess I'll ask her when I need new clothes to make then. And her son?"

"Oh, he's only 5 years old. A little bundle of energy and enthusiasm. But he is a nice kid. Well, his mother is such an angel after all."

Shouyou smiled. "I'm looking forward to meet her then."


	2. Shopping

It was a day before summer break. The whole school cheered, even the teachers. Tomorrow, summer break started, and in three days, the day she would spend with her family and Gintoki's family would begin. Tsukuyo was excited, but also anxious as she waited for Gintoki outside their school's door. Gintoki's family had been very kind to her, but she was not sure about her whole family, especially her sister. She shook her head. _No don't say that! They're not that kind of people! They'll never scoff at me, and they won't scoff at my sister!_

"Hey, Tsukuyo" Gintoki called her, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Eh? Yes?"

"Sorry I can't go home with you today."

She smiled at her boyfriend. They started to walk together toward the gate. "It's okay. Something came up in the Kendo club?"

"No it's Kagura. She wants me to come to her tournament this afternoon." Yato Kagura was Gintoki's younger cousin, who was very close to him. Her mother, Kouka-san was Yoshida Shouyou's younger sister. Tsukuyo had met her before when she went with Gintoki to pick her up in Gintama elementary school. She even got to know her friends, Shimura Shinpachi and Tokugawa Soyo, whom were also very close to Gintoki. Tsukuyo remembered that Kagura was part of Wushu club in her school, and was actually good in it, just like Gintoki in Kendo club. She was competing in Wushu National tournament, representing Gintama elementary school at that time.

"She said 'I'm going to cut your balls and your dick if I don't see you on the bleachers. I need you to cheer me on during the fight with your loud shout and I need you to cheer me up with food when I lose'" Gintoki said, mimicking Kagura. He sighed. "Kids these days have such colorful language."

"Which she learns from you" Tsukuyo pointed out.

Gintoki ignored her comment and went on "And anyway, she is waiting for me to come to see her fight right now. Uncle Kankou and Aunty Kouka can't go, so they ask me to come instead. It's Kagura's own wish. I'm sure she even sent reinforcement to bring me there." He looked ahead toward the gate of the school. "See what I mean?"

Tsukuyo followed his gaze and sure enough, she saw two kids, a boy and a girl with black hair, wearing their school's elementary uniform, waving at them. It were Kagura's friends and classmates, Shinpachi and Soyo. "GIN-SAN!"

"Yo, Pachi, Soyo" he greeted as he and Tsukuyo arrived at the gate.

The two elementary kids turned to Tsukuyo as well and bowed. "Hello Tsukuyo-san."

"Hello" she said, nodding. Shinpachi and Soyo were quite polite for elementary students, unlike the cheerful, energetic Kagura, who usually jumped into her arms, screaming "Tsukki!"

"You come to get me?" Gintoki asked

"Yes. Kagura-chan sent us here to make sure you'll come" Shinpachi said, fixing his glasses a bit.

"Come on, Gin-san. Kagura-chan is waiting in the arena. She was so nervous. She won't feel better unless you're there with her" Soyo said while pulling on Gintoki's hand as Shinpachi took his other one.

"Wait, at least let me get my motorbike first!"

Tsukuyo giggled as she watched Gintoki, being dragged by the two elementary kids. He looked behind him and shouted at her "See you later!" Tsukuyo waved at him until he was gone with Shinpachi and Soyo.

She started to walk toward her house. Seita was coming to his friend's house after school so she didn't need to pick him up. She started to plan in her mind what she would bring for the vacation with Yoshida family. What did she need? Gintoki said there was a lake. Did that mean she had to bring a swimsuit? She started to panic, remembering that she had no swimsuit other than her school's swimsuit. As she passed the middle school, she heard someone calling her name.

"Tsukuyo-san!" She turned to the source of voice and saw Nobume, walking with two teenage boys by her side, a sandy-haired teen, and a long, vermillion-haired teen. One of them she recognized as Kagura's older brother, Kamui. The three younger kids stopped in front of her.

"It's nice to see you here Nobume-chan" Tsukuyo greeted with a smile.

Nobume nodded. "Nice to see you too."

"Who is she?" the sandy-haired teen asked.

"Hmm? She's my brother's girlfriend."

"Which brother?"

"Gin-nii."

"Oh, Gin-san has a girlfriend too huh?"

Nobume turned to Tsukuyo. "Tsukuyo-san, these are my classmates. This is Sougo" she said, pointing at the sandy-haired boy on her left. "And this you may already know, is Kagura-chan's brother, Kamui" she said, pointing at the vermillion-haired boy on her right, who was smiling the whole time.

Tsukuyo nodded at both of them. "It's nice to meet you." The two boys bowed back at her.

"Nice to see you too. But we have to go to watch my sister's tournament. You gonna come Nobume?" Kamui said.

Nobume shook her head. "No, I have something to do. Gin-nii already went in our place anyway. He'll be more than enough for her. Tell Kagura-chan I'm sorry."

"Yeah, yeah" Sougo said. The two teenage boys went away and Nobume turned to Tsukuyo.

"Tsukuyo-san, you have something to do after this?"

"Hmm? No, I think I'll just go home and rest. Seita went to his friend's house so I don't have to pick him up. I'm going to start on my homework tomorrow."

"Then want to go shopping with me?" _Eh? Shopping?_

"Um... uh... but I don't have money to buy anything..."

"You don't have to buy anything. I just want your company that's all" Nobume said. Tsukuyo thought about it. She had nothing important to do today. Instead of sitting leisurely at home, it might be better that she spent time with her boyfriend's sister. _Who could also be your sister-in-law in the future._ She blushed at her own thoughts.

"Alright then."

Nobume smiled. "Wait here then. I'll get my motorcycle."

"You have a motorbike too Nobume-chan?" Tsukuyo said, surprised.

"Yes. Each of us has motorbikes except Dad and Obo-nii. They both use cars. Dad only allows us to have cars once we go to college."

Nobume ran to the parking lot and Tsukuyo waited. A few minutes later, Nobume came on a motorcycle. The design was similar to Gintoki's, though Gintoki's was silver and blue, while Nobume's was red and white. "Get in" she said, while handing Tsukuyo a helmet. Tsukuyo put on the helmet and get on behind Nobume.

* * *

Nobume had brought them to a quite extravagant town square. She felt a bit self-conscious wearing her school uniform in this place, but Nobume didn't seem to be bothered. She walked with the younger girl toward a shop, selling women's clothes and accessories.

"I've always going shopping alone. None of my family ever want to accompany me whenever I go shopping. Well, they do when I force them to. But I want some female company."

"What about your school friends?"

"I do have some female friends, but we are not that close. The ones I'm closest to are Sougo and Kamui. We are part of the same gang."

That last remark made Tsukuyo freeze. _Gang? What kind of gang? You mean group of friends right? You don't mean those kinds of gang that ride motorbikes around town and go to night clubs, right? Please tell me it's not Nobume-chan!_

"Do you have swimsuits?"

"Huh?" Nobume's question snapped her out of her inner turmoil. She now realized that they had arrived in swimwear section.

"Do you have any swimsuit at home? We're going to the lake in the countryside, so we're going to swim."

Tsukuyo looked down embarrassed. "Um, I only have our school's swimsuit. I don't have that much money to go shopping for clothes. Most of my clothes are made by my sister."

Nobume hummed and continued to look around the myriad of swimsuits. Tsukuyo sighed. _She must think of how pathetic I am._

"Which one do you think is good for me?" Nobume asked, turning to her with two swimsuits in her hands. Both are bikinis, one with tiger motif and the other with zebra motif. Tsukuyo put her hand on her chin and looked at both swimsuits, thinking it over.

"I think the one with zebra motif is better for you Nobume-chan. But there's still something missing..." she trailed off, looking around the swimwear section. Nobume looked down at the black and white bikini in her hand and frowned, obviously thinking the same.

Tsukuyo spotted black shorts with white vertical lines. She went to pick it from the rack and walked to Nobume. She took the zebra bikini top and combined the two. "I think this is better for you. Why don't you try it?"

Nobume nodded and brought the shorts and bikini top to the changing room. While she tried the swimsuits, Tsukuyo looked around the section. It's not like she would buy one. She had no money for it. But it was okay to look around, right?

A one piece swimsuit caught her attention. It was light blue, with laced-up front and high cut. _Will I look good in that?_ She looked at her own body. A part of her wanted to show off to Gintoki. She flushed and bit her lip. _Even if I do, I still can't buy it._

Nobume pulled open the curtain of the changing room to see Tsukuyo looking at the blue one piece. _Ah..._

"Tsukuyo-san, how do I look?" Nobume asked. Tsukuyo looked at Nobume, wearing the bikini top with zebra motif and the shorts with vertical black and white motif.

"It looks good on you Nobume-chan."

"I think so too. Thanks for picking it up for me. For someone who rarely goes shopping, you have a good fashion sense."

"Oh, well my sister is a tailor so..."

Nobume smiled and looked at the blue one piece swimsuit. "You like that one?"

"Eh? Um, well..."

"You should try it." Nobume went to pick the swimsuit and handed it to Tsukuyo. "Come on try it!" she said as she pushed the older girl to the changing room.

After a minute, Tsukuyo walked out wearing the swimsuit and Nobume let out a little cry. "It looks good on you."

Tsukuyo did think so as well as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Nevertheless, she still asked "You really think so?"

"Yeah. Your butts aren't that big. But your body is slim and makes your curves even more prominent. And you breasts are large." Tsukuyo blushed, embarrassed at having someone analyze her body.

They changed back to their school uniform and Nobume brought the bikini top, the shorts, and the one piece to the counter. Tsukuyo looked confused.

"You're going to buy that to?"

"I'm buying this for you."

"WHAT?! No you don't have to!"

"It's okay. It's my money. You don't have to pay."

"But I'll feel bad about it! Please don't..."

"But I want to" Nobume said, smiling as she handed her the one piece after she purchased it. "Gin-nii and I had a talk about this. He said you might not have a swimsuit, so I offered to go shopping with you today."

Tsukuyo still looked down, guilty, embarrassed, and worried. Nobume knew what she was thinking. "And don't feel bad or looked down on yourself. Just so you know, we're doing this not out of pity, or because we're trying to make fun of your poverty. We do this because we care." She smiled at her brother's girlfriend. "You are already like a family to us."

Tsukuyo smiled. Somehow she felt light-hearted along the way home. Gintoki's family was really filled with good people. Maybe this family vacation would not be so bad.

* * *

"Is everything ready?! Nothing left out?!"

"Yes, everything's packed."

"What about you Seita?"

"Everything's already in my backpack, Mom!"

"Nee-san, do you want to bring your crutches?"

"Of course! They're inside the cupboard."

That morning, the Hoshina family was in a hurry as that was the day they're going to join Yoshida family for summer vacation. Everyone was excited. Tsukuyo suddenly heard the sound of motor from the outside. She ran out of the door and found Gintoki sitting on his motorbike.

"Yo!" He held up a hand in greeting.

"You're alone? Where is your family?"

"Getting ready in the house. We're going to use the van and one motorcycle. They told me to go ahead and tell you about it."

The van. Of course. She remembered seeing a van among the vehicles in Gintoki's house garage. "Well come on in."

The couple went into Tsukuyo's house and was greeted by Hinowa. "Ah, welcome Gintoki-kun! Where is the rest of your family?"

"They're on their way here. I smell something from the oven."

Hinowa smiled knowingly. "Would you like some cookies then?" she said as she offered a tray with white-choco cookies she had made that morning.

"Hinowa-san, your cookies is the best sweet that I've ever tasted. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Gintoki took one cookie and bit it. He savored the cookie in his mouth and smiled blissfully. "I'm in heaven" he said, a small tear fell from the corner of his eyes. Hinowa laughed and Tsukuyo giggled. She always found this part of her boyfriend cute. Who would've thought that this guy, who was the best fighter in their school, who used to pick a fight fith others once every few days, and was feared by the local gangs as the "White Demon" of Gintama High, actually had a liking, which borderline to obsession, for sweets?

"You're exaggerating Gintoki-kun."

"Gin-nii!" They turned to see Seita coming. The little boy ran to Gintoki and he caught him in his arm, lifting the boy onto the air.

"Hey there little hero! You're getting bigger and heavier each day!"

"Of course! I'm a growing boy!"

Seeing Gintoki played with Seita warmed Tsukuyo's heart. She knew, even when he was still a jerk, long before they dated each other, that Gintoki was good with children. Kagura, Shinpachi, Soyo and Seita liked him almost immediately. And eventhough he didn't want to admit it at first, he had weakness for kids. Now, he was more open with his affection than before.

 _He would make a good father in the future_. That thought caused Tsukuyo to blush. Why was it that everything about him always made her heart beat so fast?

They heard the sound of motor from the outside followed by a honk. "That's them" Gintoki announced as he put Seita down. Seita pulled Gintoki outside by the hand while Tsukuyo pushed Hinowa's wheel chair and followed them. Outside, a big silver van was waiting for them. Four people went out and stood before them.

Tsukuyo smiled at the new arrivals. "Hello everyone."

The four people greeted her back with "Hi"/"Hello"/"Good morning".

"Are they your siblings Gin-nii?" Seita asked Gintoki.

Gintoki nodded. "Yeah. This is my older brother Oboro. And this is Kotarou. This is Shinsuke. And this is my sister Nobume" he said, while pointing at each siblings.

"And this kid?" Shinsuke said, looking down on Seita.

"This is Tsukuyo's nephew."

"Hello! My name is Seita!" he replied enthusiastically.

Kotarou kneeled in front of the 5-year-old. "Hi Seita-kun. Do you like camping?"

"I never did it. But I want to try!"

"Good, because that's what we're going to do!" Kotarou petted the boy's head and smiled at him.

The siblings' attention now turned to Hinowa. Tsukuyo felt a bit anxious. Even Hinowa fidgeted a little. "Um, everyone, this is my older sister, Hinowa."

"Ah! So you were the one who cooked the food for us back then. Thank you so much. It's good" Kotarou said with a friendly smile.

Shinsuke nodded, smiling a little. "It is really delicious."

Oboro smiled politely. "Thank you for giving us the food back then. We don't have to cook anymore thanks to you."

"Yup! Tsukuyo-san, your sister is very pretty" Nobume commented.

Hinowa smiled in relief. Thankfully, their reaction to her was positive. "Actually, I cooked some food for today too. That is, if you want to eat it. And as requested before, I also made some donuts."

Oboro nodded. "We would like that. Thank you very much." Nobume cheered.

Gintoki looked behind his siblings. "Hey, where's Da-"

Suddenly, the door of the van was opened again as a figure walked out. "What're you doing in there, Dad?"

"I am sorry. I was on the phone with Sasaki-san. I asked him to take care of the paperwork while I'm away. Did I miss the introduction?"

Seita walked in front of the man. "Hi! I'm Tsukuyo-nee's nephew. My name's Seita" the boy introduced himself enthusiastically.

Shouyou blinked in surprise. He then smiled warmly and put his hand on the boy's head. "My name is Shouyou. I am Gintoki's father. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" the boy replied with a big smile, causing the adult to chuckle.

"Dad, you still have to meet Tsukuyo's sister" Gintoki said, as he ushered Shouyou to the front of the bunch.

"This is Gintoki's father, the dean" Tsukuyo whispered to Hinowa as she pushed her forward.

"Hinowa-san, this is my father."

"Shouyou-san, this is my sister."

The man and woman faced each other, but something unexpected happened when they laid eyes on each other. Hinowa's eyes widened and her jaw went slack. Her hands trembled and her body shuddered as she looked at the man in front of her. Shouyou on the other hand, seemed to be frozen in his spot. Body going rigid and face pale, his expression mirrored Hinowa's, with widened eyes and slacked jaw. Realization dawned on both of them as memories came flooding back into their heads. Everyone looked at them, curious, confused and worried, as the two adults kept staring at each other with shocked faces.

"Um... Dad?" Gintoki asked, unsure what's going on.

"Nee-san?" Tsukuyo called worriedly.

The two snapped out of their stare down. Shouyou suddenly bowed in front of her. "I am Gintoki's father, Shouyou. It is nice to meet you."

His action startled Hinowa. She fidgeted on her wheel chair for a second before bowing back. "I-it is nice to m-meet you too. I am Tsukuyo's s-sister, Hinowa."

For what feels like forever, no one said anything, not even Seita. It felt so awkward. Oboro cleared his throat loudly, catching everyone's attention. "We should go now."

Gintoki nodded at his brother. "Yes we should." Everyone started to help loading the Hoshina family's luggage into the van. But even as they started to work, they couldn't shake this uncomfortable feeling.


	3. Awkwardness

The group was ready to go for vacation. Two of them would ride the motorcycle while the rest ride the van. Tsukuyo, Hinowa and Seita were actually surprised to see the inside of the van. It looked like a small house; there was a rack and cupboard, a table with the chairs, a sofa, a karaoke machine, a small toilet room, a bed, a counter complete with basin, and a hammock. But the inside was quite full of the two families' luggage, so two people had to ride the motorbike. Gintoki and Tsukuyo rode on Gintoki's motorbike while the rest were riding the van, with Shinsuke and Nobume at the front seat, Shinsuke driving it.

"This is indeed really good" Kotarou complimented as he tried Hinowa's onigiri. "You're such a great cook, Hinowa-san."

Hinowa smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you Kotarou-kun. But I'm sure you've tasted more delicious food before."

"No, your cooking is really the best. No one can compare to it. Well, no one but Dad's cooking anyway" he commented. Hinowa's eyes trailed unwittingly to Shouyou's direction after his last remark. When the man caught her looking his way, she quickly turned her head away in panic. This little action did not go unnoticed by Oboro, who raised his eyebrows. He was preparing tea at the counter as he watched their interaction.

Hinowa fidgeted in her seat by the window, when someone put a cup of tea on the table in front of her. She looked up to see Oboro with a tray in his hand. "Please, have a drink."

"Ah! T-thank you." She nodded and smiled appreciatively. Oboro smiled back, before walking toward his father, who was sitting on the sofa.

"Dad, here's your tea."

"Ah, thank you Oboro." Shouyou smiled at his eldest, and continued reading the book in his hands.

"I wish Elizabeth can taste this" Kotarou commented.

"Who's Elizabeth?" Seita asked him.

"She's my friend. But we have to leave her behind in the house." Kotarou sighed.

"Why didn't you bring her?"

"Oboro-nii-san didn't let me do it."

"You can't bring a penguin with us for a vacation. Where are you going to put her?"

"She can stay in the lake!"

Seita gaped, surprised beyond belief. "Elizabeth is a penguin?"

"Yes she is."

"A real penguin?!"

"Yes!"

Seita's eyes sparkled in excitement. "I want to see her!" But he suddenly looked down. "But she's not here huh?"

Kotarou looked at his father and older brother, before kneeling to the boy's height. "Actually, maybe you can" he whispered.

Seita perked at this. "Really?" he whispered back.

"But keep it a secret. Especially from Nii-san."

Seita nodded his head vigorosly. "But why do you have a penguin? Where do you find her? Can I find one at the beach?"

Kotarou shook his head. "You can't find a penguin in every place. I found her in Alaska."

Seita tilted his head to the side. "What's Alaska?"

"Alaska is a region that is actually part of the United States, but is located at the northwest of Canada. It is famous for tourism, with mountains, forests, and abundant wildlife and many small towns. Despite its size, it is the least densely populated area of United States. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on-"

Oboro put his hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "I think that's enough Kotarou. You don't have to explain that much to a kindergartener." He looked at Seita, who looked like he got overloaded by information, his eyes were spinning in spirals.

"Just say that we didn't find him in Japan. We found him in some place far."

"He's a she."

"Sure, whatever." Oboro turned his head to again, observe the two adults in the room. Hinowa was looking out the window and Shouyou was reading a book. At a glance, nothing seemed to be amiss. But upon closer inspection, you could see how tense they were. Hinowa could pass off as normal, if her body wasn't too rigid, too still. Shouyou was sitting casually, but his finger continuously tapped the book in his hand. After years knowing, Oboro knew his father's habit when he was restless. One time, the man and women took a glance at each other, at the same time. When their eyes met, they quickly turned away. The eldest of Yoshida siblings frowned. Something's really wrong here.

"Do you notice it too Nii-san?" Kotarou whispered to his brother as Seita went to his mother. "Dad and Hinowa-san... they're acting strange to each other."

Oboro nodded. "Yeah."

"In that split second when they met in Hoshina house, I was almost sure that they knew each other. Could it be they have met before?"

"I don't know for sure. Neither of them want to talk." Whenever he asked either of them if something was bothering them, they would give him false smiles and said nothing's wrong. They obviously were hiding something. Oboro only hoped that this awkwardness between Shouyou and Hinowa would not affect Gintoki and Tsukuyo's relationship.

* * *

"Gintoki" Tsukuyo called out to him, shouting a little so she could be heard over the sound of the wind and the vehicles.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think something happened between your father and my sister?"

Gintoki pondered about it. "Back then when they met, it looked as if they recognized each other. Maybe they have met somewhere before. And maybe... that first meeting didn't really leave a good impression" he replied. "At least that's what I think."

Tsukuyo went silent for a while. "If..." she started. Gintoki leaned back, quietly telling her that he was listening. "If they... your father and my sister... if they dislike... or even hate each other... do you think... they will force us to break up?"

Gintoki's grip on the handle became harder. He looked ahead with steel in his eyes. "I won't let that happen."

Tsukuyo leaned her body on his, her arms hugged his waist tightly as she put her head on his back. "Yes. Me too."

* * *

Nobume looked out of the window at the couple, who was riding the motorcycle beside their van. She smiled when Tsukuyo hugged Gintoki from behind. "They're so cute, don't you think?"

"Hmm" replies Shinsuke curtly.

"You should get a girlfriend too Shin-nii. You've technically already lost to Gin-nii by one point" she said, bringing the two brothers' rivalry into the light. Gintoki and Shinsuke competed against each other for many things, and Shinsuke always kept tabs on it.

"Shut up" Shinsuke said, frowning deeper, pouting a little. Nobume smirked at his reaction.

"What about that blonde girl who follows you everywhere? What's her name again?"

"Kijima."

"Oh yes, Kijima Ma*ko."

"Not Ma*ko but Matako."

"You know, she seems to be sincere in her feelings for you. Why don't you give her a chance?"

"I told you I'm not interested. What about you look at yourself first, huh?"

"Myself?"

"I see you don't have a boyfriend either. Why don't you just start to choose between Sougo and Kamui and go out with one of them?"

"What? You think I like one of them? No, thank you. We're just friends. We are close to each other but not in that way. I can't even picture myself with Sougo or Kamui. Besides, they're both lolicon anyway."

Shinsuke raised his eyebrows at her. "Lolicon?"

"Yes. I'm prettty sure Sougo has a thing for Kagura-chan. He keeps making fun of her and giving her insulting remarks, which always ends up in a fight. Kamui is the same, but with Kagura-chan's friend, Soyo-chan. He always teases her about everything, saying inappropriate things in front of her, trying to get a reaction from her, until she loses her composure and shows her sadism. There's a saying that boys always tease the girls they like right? I can see that that is what Sougo and Kamui do. If that's the case, I'm not going to reprimand them for hitting on fifth graders."

Shinsuke hummed and looked ahead. "Well, what about your other male friends then?"

"I can't see myself with them."

"Still crushing on Sasaki-san?"

The lightest of blush painted Nobume's cheeks. Sasaki Isaburo was their father's friend and coworker. When they were little, Shouyou was very busy and often asked Sasaki to take care of them while he worked. The siblings grew closer to him, especially Nobume, who viewed Isaburo as a second father. She had a crush on him back then, telling him outright that she wanted to marry him in the future when she grew up. Of course no one took it seriously as she was only five at that time.

"I told you it was only a childhood crush! Besides, uncle Isaburo has already married anyway."

Shinsuke smirked. "Oho? Nobume-chan has a broken heart."

"I told you, I don't feel like that anymore!"

"Whatever you say."

Nobume huffed and reached inside the box beside her to grab for a donut and started munching it.

"You're getting fat if you eat too much of that. Your obsession with donuts is not even healthy anymore" her brother remarked.

"Someone who starts to smoke at the age of 17 has no right to tell me about health."

Shinsuke was startled, the car swerved to the side, almost hitting Gintoki and Tsukuyo. "HEY WATCH IT!" Gintoki shouted.

Shinsuke calmed his erratic heart and glanced at Nobume. "You know? All this time you know?"

Nobume snorted. "Of course. Why do you think Dad and the others haven't found out? Who do you think has been covering up for you? Who cleans the tobacco ashes, tells the maids not to tell the others, and hides the cigarettes in the trashcan?"

Shinsuke looked away from her in shame. "I didn't say anything because I knew you wanted to quit. I knew you're trying to quit. Though I don't know whether you've quitted or not."

"I did quit. It's thanks to Tsukuyo."

"Huh? What? How-"

"I can't tell you the details. Anyway, she convinced me to quit in her own way."

Nobume frowned. What did he mean by that? Somehow she didn't like the way he said it. What did he mean that she "convinced him in her own way"?

"Anyway, we have more important thing to talk about right? For example, Dad and Hinowa-san" Shinsuke exclaimed, gaining his sister's attention. "You realize the way they act around each other, don't you?"

"Yeah." Nobume nodded. "Do you think she knows about _that_?" she asked. They glanced at each other in silence.

"There is a possibility" Shinsuke replied.

* * *

The group rode on for another hour until they reached the foot of the mountain. Gintoki and Tsukuyo, who had went ahead of the others, stopped in front of a closed shop.

"Why do we stop? What are we doing here?" Tsukuyo asked as they got off the motorbike.

"We're going to take a rest here. Having lunch you know. Whenever we come here, we always visit this place first before we go up to the mountain" he said as he took off his helmet.

"But the shop is closed. There's no one here." Tsukuyo looked up to read the sign above the shop. _Otose's Snack House_.

"Of course there is. Granny! We come!" Gintoki shouted into the store.

Suddenly, the door was slammed open, revealing an old lady, wearing heavy makeup, with cigarette in hand. "Who're you calling granny?!"

"You, Granny!"

Tsukuyo watched the shouting match between her boyfriend and the old lady in confusion. So he knew the owner of the shop?

The old lady sighed. "You're alone here? Where's your Dad and your siblings?"

"They're on their way here. Tama and Cathrine?"

"They're inside. Seriously, if you want to visit, give us prior notice."

"Eh, it's troublesome. Tell Dad about it, not me."

The elderly woman looked at Tsukuyo. "And this girl?"

Gintoki put his arm around Tsukuyo's shoulder proudly. "This is my girlfriend."

"Such a shame, for a pretty girl like her to end up with you."

"What did you say?!"

She walked up to the girl, and smiled at her. "I'm the owner of this shop. My name is Otose. What's your name young lady?"

Tsukuyo smiled and bowed at her. "It's nice to meet you Otose-san. My name is Tsukuyo."

"Are you really that jerk's girlfriend?"

"HEY!"

"Yes, I am that jerk's girlfriend."

"You both are so cruel." Otose and Tsukuyo smiled knowingly at each other.

The van came not long after, and stopped in front of the shop. The rest of the group started to fill out of the van. Shouyou walked up to Otose and bowed at her. "It's been a long time, Otose-san."

Otose blew out a cigarette smoke. "It is. I almost think that you've forgotten about me."

"I could never forget you, and all the help you've given us." Shouyou stood up straight and smiled at the elderly woman. "We're indebted to you." Otose sighed. "Today I bring some people with me. We plan to have lunch first before we go to the house. Oh! I forgot that your shop is only opened at night! Surely, you don't have time to serve us some of your food, right?"

Otose snorted at Shouyou's deliberate act. She then smiled at them. "Fool. There is always time for you."


	4. Reconciliation

_Otose's Snack House_ was a pub owned by Terada Ayano, or mostly known as Otose. It was located at the foot of the mountain where Yoshida family villa was. It was usually opened at night, but for the Yoshidas, it opened at every hour. Otose seemed to have known the family for a long time. They were her special customers. Otose was a widow who lost her husband during an accident and now lived alone. At first, she seemed to be sarcastic, but as they got to know her, she was actually a warm, gentle, and kind old lady.

Otose ran the shop together with two waitresses, Catherine and Tama. Tama was an attractive young woman, with red eyes, pale skin and long green hair. However, her smile and movements were too rigid and she was really polite, calling everyone with suffix _–sama_. Catherine on the other hand... she looked like she was around 30s eventhough she insisted that she was 20s. Her language and attitude were coarse and rude, and she acted all high and mighty. Tsukuyo honestly didn't know what to think or do with the two waitresses.

The group, which consisted of nine people, decided to have lunch in Otose's Snack House. Hinowa offered to cook them lunch, using Otose's kitchen. As Tsukuyo watched the others, she noticed that among Yoshida family, Gintoki was the closest one to the shop owner and the two waitresses. Though you had to squint to see the affection behind the insults they hurled at each other.

"Oi Catherine! You're changing your accent again, you old hag?!"

"Who're you calling old hag?! And what're you talking about? I always speak like this, you moron!"

"No you're not! The last time I came here you don't talk like that! You think that changing the way you speak will make you more popular? Just give it up already! You have to change your whole character for that!"

"At least I don't have perm head!"

"What's wrong with my hair huh?! There's nothing wrong with perm!"

"It's curly!"

"Gintoki-sama, Catherine-sama, don't fight. Let's calm yourselves down. Here, have a drink" Tama said as she offered two glasses of light-yellow substances.

"THAT'S JUST OIL!" Gintoki and Catherine shouted in unison. Everyone in the room laughed at that.

"Such a scoundrel isn't he? With dirty mouth and brazen attitude" Otose said. Tsukuyo turned to look at the old woman. Her words were cruel, but the affectionate gaze and the fond smile on her face showed her true feelings. It's clear that among Shouyou's children, Gintoki was her favorite. Gintoki seemed to have that kind of effect to other people. Tsukuyo herself, was annoyed and put off by his crude attitude at first. But as she got to know him, she found something in Gintoki that she couldn't help but be attracted to. He possessed a certain charisma that drew people to him. Even in his own family, Gintoki seemed to be loved and looked up to.

"Otose-san, is the food ready?" Shouyou asked the old woman.

"It should be ready in a few minutes, I think."

"But..." He looked at Catherine and Tama, who were engaged in a talk with Gintoki, Kotarou and Oboro. "If you are here, and Catherine-san and Tama-san are there, who is cooking the food?"

"It's that black-haired woman that came with you. Gintoki's girlfriend's sister. What was her name again?" she said, turning to Tsukuyo.

"Hinowa."

"Ah yes, her! Hinowa. She borrowed my kitchen to cook something for us.

Shouyou suddenly froze in his place, his face pallid. His reaction did not go unnoticed by Otose. "Oh... I see... Well, then..." He walked, a bit robotically, back to join the others.

When Shouyou passed the door to the kitchen, Hinowa wheeled out, spatula in hand. She caught a glance of him and quickly looked away, her hands trembling a little.

"What's wrong Hinowa-san?" Otose asked.

"Oh... um... I was about to ask whether you have tomatos or not."

"Yes, I have. In a basket beside the basin."

"Oh... thank you" Hinowa said, before hurriedly wheeled herself back into the kitchen.

Tsukuyo sighed. There was this awkwardness between Shouyou and Hinowa. It made this vacation felt not as fun as she hoped. What's wrong with them? Did they hate each other? If they did, would it affect her relationship with Gintoki?

"Tsukuyo-san" Otose called her. Tsukuyo snapped out of her thoughts and saw Otose motioned for her to get closer. So she did. As she sat next to the old lady, she whispered in her ear, "Did something happen between Shouyou and Hinowa-san?" Tsukuyo then started to tell Otose about what happened that morning, and about what she and Gintoki had talked about.

"So you still don't know what caused them to act like that."

"No."

Otose looked to the kitchen where Hinowa was, and then to Shouyou, who was talking with Seita. The boy was telling him a story energetically, and the man chuckled.

"I hope there's something we can do to ease this tension between them" Tsukuyo said.

"But you can't. The only ones who know why thet act like this are themselves. The only way to ease this tension is for them to talk it out."

"But they barely even look at each other. And they always avoid one another. How can we get them to talk?"

"I think I have an idea" Otose suddenly exclaimed.

Tsukuyo's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" The old woman whispered something in her ear. The girl smiled and nodded. She went to her boyfriend and nudged him.

"Tsukuyo? What is it?" Tsukuyo tugged his arm for him to lean his head down. She whispered something in his ear and his smile widened. Gintoki called Catherine and Tama. The three huddled as Gintoki told them something. The two nodded and went to the other siblings to tell them about what they had heard. Catherine told Oboro and Shinsuke while Tama told Kotarou and Nobume. Without Shouyou and Hinowa noticing, the others in the room nodded their head at each other. _Alright._

* * *

Lunch finally started. Everyone gathered in one big table to eat. Even Otose, Catherine and Tama, joined them. The lunch went on uneventful for half an hour, until Shouyou noticed someone missing. "Ara? Where's Gintoki?"

"Tsukuyo's not here either" Hinowa commented quietly.

"Oh, those two? They said they wanted to take a walk around here for a while. Having some time for themselves, just the two of them" Otose answered their question. She then sighed. "Young love. I remember when my husband and I were that age."

"Then we should not bother them. Let them have time for each other. Every couple needs some time alone to do things" Kotarou said.

"What kind of things?" Seita asked.

"Well, you know... that kind of stuff."

"What stuff?"

"The M rated stuff."

"Huh?"

Shouyou put his hand on the boy's head. "You don't have to know those things right know Seita-kun." Seita nodded.

"By the way Granny, do you have donuts?" Nobume asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you, this is pub, not bakery! No I don't have any donuts."

"Then is there any place around here that sells donuts?"

"If I remember, there is Dunkin Donuts in a rest area, 5 kilometers from here."

"Great! Let's go Shin-nii!" Nobume said as she pulled Shinsuke's hand.

"Why do I have to go too?" Shinsuke said, frowning.

"I need you to accompany me. Someone has to ride the motorbike while the other is holding the boxes."

"Just how many boxes you want to buy?!"

"As many as I can! I can't last in this trip without donuts! Now come with me!" Nobume dragged Shinsuke through the door as they both argued along the way. A minute later, they heard the motorbike went away. The others in the room sweatdropped.

The lunch continued as the remaining people in the room talked to each other. Until it came up to tourist destinations around the area. "And then there was a ranch not far froom here. There's breeding of many kinds of animals there, like horses and-"

"There're horses?" Seita asked excitedly, cutting Kotarou's explanation.

"Well, yes. But my favorite is the rabbits"

"I want to see them!"

"Why don't we see them now?" Kotarou offered. "It's not far from here, if we use vehicle. But just a quick glance, okay?"

"Yay! Can I go Mom? Can I? Can I?" Seita turned to his mother, tugging her sleeve.

Hinowa smiled at her son. "Sure, why not?"

Seita cheered. As he and Kotarou were about to go out of the room, Oboro called out to them. "Wait Kotarou! You can't drive the van! You don't have the license yet!" Among the five siblings, only Oboro and Shinsuke had driving license. The rest hadn't taken the test yet.

"What about Gintoki's motorcycle?"

"Shinsuke and Nobume took it remember."

Kotarou seemed to ponder this. "Well then, why don't you come with us Nii-san?"

"Come with us Oboro-san!" Seita exclaimed excitedly.

Oboro sighed. "I think I should." He got up and followed his brother and the little boy. "Dad, we'll be leaving for a while."

"Alright, Oboro." The three went out and soon enough, they heard the car engine, before the van drove away.

"Well then, let's continue our meals" Otose said, right before the phone ring. She walked to the phone and talked to whoever was calling. "Hello... Yes... WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Everyone turned to Otose in surprise. "What's wrong Otose-sama? Who is that?" Tama asked.

"It's Oiwa. She said there's a selling of women clothes and household appliances in the store nearby. And they are discounted until 60 %!"

"60 %?!" Catherine screamed, springing out of her seat. "Otose-san, we have to go! Now!"

"That's what I thought! There's no time to lose!" The two old women ran out of the shop. Before she left, Otose screamed to Tama to take care of the shop.

After Otose and Catherine left, the room suddenly felt so suffocating. Shouyou and Hinowa were hyperaware of each other's presence. Thankfully, Tama was still here-

"Shouyou-sama, Hinowa-sama, I'm sorry but I forgot I have to buy a stock of liquor for tonight as there was nothing left after you came." And sure enough, the rack of the bar was empty of bottles. "However, Otose-sama told me to watch over the shop. So I want to ask you to stay here and watch over it until someone comes back."

"Wait, let me help!"

"No, it is okay Shouyou-sama. You are our guest. Otose-sama will punish me if I let a guest work. Please stay here with Hinowa-sama."

"Why don't you call Otose-san or Catherine-san to buy liquor? I mean, they are going to the store right?"

Tama held up two cellphones in her hands. "It seems that both Otose-sama and Catherine-sama forgot to bring their cellphones with them due to excitement. Please stay here until someone comes back." Before Shouyou and Hinowa could say anything more, Tama walked out of the back door of the shop. She looked behind her. _Mission completed. Now it is up to Shouyou-sama and Hinowa-sama themselves._

* * *

Now, it was just the two of them in the shop...

Shouyou and Hinowa sat opposite of each other, separated by a table. Neither of them was brave enough to look up and see the other's eyes. They continued eating and drinking in silence. Once, they reached for the teapot at the same time. When their hands accidentally brushed each other, they retracted their hands as if they were on fire.

"Sorry."

"I-it's okay."

Shouyou reached for the teapot and poured tea for himself. He hesitated for a few seconds before offering to her "Want some tea?"

"Eh?"

"Want me to pour you some tea?"

"Oh! Um... yes please..." Hinowa quietly pushed her cup to the front. Shouyou poured tea into the cup, and put the teapot down. They exchanged a quiet "Thank you"/"You're welcome".

They continue to drink their tea in silence. Hinowa looked at everything in the room, anything but the man in front of her. Shouyou stirred his tea absentmindedly.

Hinowa gripped her cup, hoping for the others to come back quickly. Why did all of them have to go and leave her with him? A chuckle from the man sitting in front of her startled her out of her mind. "Being alone with me must be very frightening and suffocating for you."

Her hands began to tremble again. She braved herself to look up and see him. His expression was not murderous or bloodthirsty. Instead, there was deep sadness and pain on his face. "I know how you feel. Being in the same room with me must be enough to make you feel you want to run away as far as possible."

Hinowa was at a loss for words. She always knew what to say to people. They always said that she was eloquent. But she didn't have the voice to speak in front of this man. She admitted that she was indeed a bit frightened. But most of all, she felt ashamed and disgusted. Not to him, but to herself. What she did back then was far from honorable or desirable.

"You must be very scared right now."

"Truthfully," she started, still looking away from him. She noticed from the corner of her eyes that his body tensed. "I am a little scared. But more than that, I feel ashamed. Not to you but to myself."

He looked up at her in surprise. "The situation at that time... was not really pleasant. What I did back then was not really honorable or desirable. And... I was somewhat embarrassed and ashamed that you have met me like that." She finally looked at him. There was no disgust or prejudice on his expression. Instead, there was a small smile on his face, which shocked her.

"I am sure you had a reason for doing what you did. We both have done something... less than desirable in the past. I cannot condemn you for doing what you did back then when I did something much more terrible than you did." The smile was gone from his face. "I should be the one who is ashamed. You have seen it yourself. How malicious I can be."

She shook her head. "You are not malicious. Even back then, I did not sense any malice from you. And I don't sense any malice from you right now." He saw her smiling softly at him and stared at her, surprised. "And you saved my life back then. If you are truly evil, you wouldn't care about my safety. On the other hand, I was afraid that you would look down on me, because I am such a dirty woman."

This time, it was him who smiled at her. "You are not dirty. Even back then, despite what you did, I can see that your heart was pure. You never let it all taint your heart and that is all that matters." She looked at him sadly. "And you also saved my life back then, so it was even."

They smiled at each other, and this time, it was real full-blown smiles. She cleared her throat. "Um... actually..."

"Yes?"

"How about we put the past behind us for now? I don't want what happened between us affect the others, especially Tsukuyo and Gintoki-kun." She hoped the young couple could continue their relationship. Gintoki was a kind person and she never saw Tsukuyo as happy as she was before she dated the young man. The young woman also changed, from being deadly serious, aloof, and strict, to be more casual, more open, and more sociable. Tsukuyo never looked so happy before, and she didn't want to be the one to destroy her sister's happiness.

He nodded. "I agree. What happened between us has nothing to do with them. And I want them to continue their relationship." Moreover, this relationship had changed Gintoki for the better. He could see the young man was truly happy being with Tsukuyo and he wanted her to stay by his son's side if it made him happy. He didn't want Gintoki to suffer again because of him.

They nodded at each other in mutual understanding. "I think we had... less than proper first meeting."

She nodded. "We didn't even learn each other's name before." She chuckled and he smiled a little.

"Then we might as well start over." He held out his hand to her. "My name is Yoshida Shouyou. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Hinowa smiled. The tension did not completely go, but she felt something had been lifted off her chest. She took his hand and shook it. "My name is Hoshina Hinowa. It is a pleasure to meet you too."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two adults in the room, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were peeping behind the back door. The young couple couldn't hear what they said, but seeing them shook hands with mutual smiles on their faces, they knew that everything would be alright.

"Thank goodness, they finally reconcile. Though I don't know what the problem is" Tsukuyo said, smiling in relief.

"Yeah. Thank goodness everything is resolved in the end" Gintoki commented.

"We still don't know what happened between them. But for now, this is enough."

Gintoki nodded, his eyes serious. He had an inkling he knew what it was about. "Yeah. This is enough."

* * *

Everyone came back after 20 minutes. Sensing the awkwardness between Shouyou and Hinowa gone, they all smiled in relief. Their strategy succeeded. They finish their lunch and said good bye to Otose, Catherine and Tama, before promising to come again, and invite them to come to the house. The group continued their journey up to the mountain.

Gintoki and Tsukuyo, who rode the motorcycle, went ahead of the others and arrived at the place first. Tsukuyo looked at the villa. It was a large Japanese building, with wide Japanese garden, surrounded by bamboo fence. It was modest, traditional, yet beautiful. But this place... "It looks like a dojo."

Gintoki smiled fondly. "It _was_ a dojo. Once."

Tsukuyo looked at him in confusion. Gintoki went up the stone steps leading to the front gate and stopped in front of the entrance. He stretched out his arms. "Welcome to _Shouka Sonjuku_!"


	5. Secret

**First of all, thank you to all the reviewers for reading my story and leaving your comments, no matter how little it is. Especially for C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, who reviews every chapter. Knowing that you love and care for this story, enough to leave review in every chapter made me incredibly happy. For others who read this story, please leave a review. Your reviews are like a vitamin that gets me to work. If there is some grammar things you want me to correct, you can even leave it in the review.**

 **...**

 **I know that I should've said this in the previous chapters *sweatdropped*. Anyway, here it goes ^.^**

The whole group finally arrived in Yoshida family villa. It was a large Japanese house, with large Japanese garden. The whole house was surrounded by bamboo fence and there were stone steps, leading to the entrance. It was traditional and simple, but it had its own charm in an old-fashioned way.

"Wow! This place is huge!" Seita exclaimed.

"It looks as if it was built to contain a lot of people" Hinowa commented.

"Well, this building was once used as martial arts school" Shinsuke said.

"Martial arts school?!" Tsukuyo, Hinowa and Seita exclaimed, turning to Shinsuke.

"Yeah. This house was once a dojo used for martial arts training. We taught many things from jujitsu, archery, to kenjutsu."

"You mean all of you can fight?" Tsukuyo asked in disbelief.

Shinsuke raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah."

"I though only Gintoki can fight."

Shinsuke frowned. "I admit that Gintoki is the strongest among the five of us, but just so you know, the rest of us can fight pretty well too. And by the way, Gintoki is still nothing compared to our father."

Tsukuyo blinked in surprise. She knew Gintoki was the best fighter in the school. He was the ace and captain of the Kendo club, and he regularly got into a fight with the local gangs, and came out of it unscathed. She even witnessed his skill firsthand when he saved her and her friends from some people who tried to kidnap and rape them in an alleyway. But it turned out, the whole Yoshida family was good martial artists.

"You can fight? You can do those cool moves in the movie? Like Jackie Chan and Jet Li?" Seita asked Shinsuke excitedly.

The young man blinked. "Well... Yeah..."

"Teach me! I want to become strong, like Gin-nii!"

Shinsuke patted the boy's head. "Maybe some other time kid."

"Everyone!" The others turned to Oboro. "We still have to unload our things!" They started to bring out their luggage and carried it into the house.

Hinowa watched the others work. Even Seita helped carry the small things out of the van. "Um, is there anything I can help you with?"

"No it's okay Hinowa-san. You just sit there and wait" Nobume said with a reassuring smile. Hinowa nodded. She felt so useless when it came to physical work.

Oboro opened the back compartment and pulled out the two cooling boxes...

Wait two?

Oboro blinked. He remembered only bringing one cooling box. Why were there two? One of the cooling boxes moved and he jumped back a little. Something was moving inside it. He carefully opened the lid and took a peak at the inside. He froze, his grip on the lid became harder, a vein popped on his forehead. "KOOOTAAAROOOUUU!"

"Yikes!" Kotarou said as he dropped the bag in his hand.

Everyone was startled by Oboro's scream. They hurriedly got to him to see what's going on. Oboro was staring at an opened cooling box with a penguin, sitting inside of it. They all sweatdropped. For a minute, no one said anything; they were busy staring at the creature that now was lounging around on the ice in the cooling box, until Seita exclaimed "Wow! Penguin!"

"Kotarou..." Oboro called his brother, his voice and expression dark. Everyone turned to Kotarou, who fidgeted in his spot. "What is that thing doing here?"

"It's not a thing. It's Elizabeth."

"That's not important! Why is it here?!"

"I can't leave Elizabeth alone in the house! She'll get lonely!"

"The servants are in the house!"

"They're not her friends. I'm her best friend! We are inseparable! You brought me here, you brought her too!"

Oboro sighed and massaged his head. Shouyou laughed out loud and put a hand on his eldest child's shoulder. "I think we can do with one more member. After all, Elizabeth-san has been part of our family, right?"

Kotarou shed tears of joy. He ran to his father and hugged him tightly, unashamed. "Daaad!" Shouyou chuckled and petted his son's head.

Oboro pouted but agreed nonetheless. "If you say so. But where are you going to put it?"

"We can put her in the pond. There is no fish there so she can have it all to herself."

Oboro sighed. "Alright."

Seita walked closer to inspect the penguin. "Wow! A real penguin! Isn't it cool, Mom?!"

Hinowa smiled at her son. "Yes it is." She then turned to whisper to Tsukuyo as Seita cued at Elizabeth along with Kotarou. "I have heard about Elizabeth from Kotarou-kun. But I didn't expect it to be a real life penguin."

Tsukuyo nodded. "Yeah. I was shocked when I first saw Elizabeth, too."

* * *

After everything had been brought into the house, it was time to put their things into their room. The Yoshida family had offered to give the Hoshinas a bedroom for each person, but the three of them chose to stay in one room. When Nobume and Shinsuke brought them into the room they would share together, the three instantly felt relieved that they had chosen to stay together. The room was very large, so large that it was almost the same size as their own house. To think that each of Yoshida family members had a room this large for themselves...

"Wow! This place is huge!" Seita said, running around the room that was to be their bedroom during this whole vacation.

"And to think that this is only a bedroom" Hinowa said, putting a hand on her cheek in awe.

"I remember they said this place used to be a school. So I think it's only fitting that they need a room as large as this to contain the students" Tsukuyo remarked.

"I guess."

They heard a knock on the door. Seita ran to open the sliding door, Nobume standing outside. "Hi, Nobume-nee-san!" Seita greeted her.

"Hi, Seita-kun!" Nobume greeted back as enthusiastic as he was. "I'm here to call you. Everyone is gathering in the living room."

The Hoshina trio joined the Yoshidas in the main room. They just conversed with each other about a myriad of topics, watched the TV and played cards. They also decided what they're going to do the next day.

"Where do you want to go tomorrow?" Shouyou asked them.

"I'm fine everywhere" Gintoki remarked, shrugging his shoulders.

"I want to see the horses again!" Seita suddenly exclaimed, gaining everyone's attention.

"Didn't you see them today?" his mother asked him.

"But it was just a quick glance. I want to go there again and play with the horses and other animals."

"You mean the ranch right? I guess we can go there. What do you say?" Shouyou asked the others. They all agreed. "Then we'll go to the ranch tomorrow." The others nodded and Seita cheered.

Tsukuyo glanced at the clock; it read 6 p.m. "Oh, it's almost time for dinner" she remarked. Time sure flew by.

"Let me cook for you" Hinowa said. She started to wheel herself, but then stopped. "Where is the kitchen?"

"I'll help you." Shouyou got up from his seat. Everyone, including Hinowa, turned to him in surprise, not expecting him of all people to lend her a hand. He smiled and grabbed the handle of Hinowa's wheel chair. "I'll take you to the kitchen."

"Oh, alright. Thank you."

After the two adults left, the rest in the room looked at each other in surprise and confusion.

"Well, isn't that a miracle? Just a few hours ago, they wouldn't even look at each other" Gintoki commented, grinning.

Tsukuyo smiled in relief. "Thank goodness. It seems that whatever it is that have been plaguing them has really been resolved."

"I agree. The tension has made everyone uncomfortable" Kotarou said.

Shinsuke nodded. "Yeah, the awkwardness between them was really killing the mood."

"I'm glad that Mom and Shouyou-san are finally getting along" Seita commented. They looked at the boy in surprise. So even the kid noticed it.

"But still, what exactly made them act like that in the first place?" Oboro wondered out loud.

"Does it matter? The most important thing is, Dad and Hinowa-san can finally act normal towards each other" Nobume said, in between munching a donut.

"Nobume! You can't eat donuts right before dinner! You won't finish your food if you get full before the main dish!" Kotarou said, reprimending his sister.

"Don't worry Kota-nii. I have two stomachs. One for regular food and one for donuts."

"The way you say it is the same with Gintoki when it comes to sweet" Oboro commented and turned to Shinsuke. "Just how many boxes did she buy?"

Shinsuke let out a long sigh and put a hand on his forehead. "She might as well buy the whole shop."

Gintoki blinked. "Wait, she bought more donuts? I though Hinowa-san had made some for her."

"Oh, I finished eating all the donuts from Hinowa-san during the trip."

"WHAAAT?!"

* * *

"You really don't have to help me" Hinowa said to the man beside her. Shouyou was rolling up his sleeves and tying his long hair into low ponytail.

"It's okay. I want to help because I feel bad for you. You are always the one who cooks for us when you're supposed to be our guest." He then paused. "Or is it that you don't want to be alone with me?"

"What?! N-no, i-it's not like that really! I just felt useless when you do most of the work while I can't do anything due to my legs! So I want to help in something I can at least do! I-it's not that I don't want to be with you! I just-"

"I know." Shouyou smiled at her softly. "I know." Hinowa sighed in relief. Shouyou gathered the ingredients for dinner. "And please don't say that you are useless Hinowa-san. You help a lot in everything you can. Just because you can't move your legs, does not mean you are useless or helpless."

Hinowa smiled a little at his words. He was really nice.

They started to work in a comfortable silence. Honestly, being alone with him still made her feel a bit awkward. Their first meeting was not exactly... proper, for a father and an older sister, whose son and younger sister respectively, were dating each other. But they were taking steps to have normal relationship.

"So I heard that this place was once a dojo."

"Yes. We opened martial arts school years ago."

"I see. So that's why this place is very large. What kind of martial arts that was taught here?"

"Well, there were many kinds. But we focused mainly on judo, karate, kendo, and kyudo."

"Where did you get the teachers?"

" _I_ was the teacher."

Hinowa's eyes widened in shock. "You were?"

"Well, _we_ were. Gintoki, Oboro, Kotarou, Shinsuke and Nobume helped me trained the students. Though they themselves also learned it from me."

Hinowa gaped. "You must be very skilled Shouyou-san." The memory of their first meeting flashed again in her mind...

Of course. She shouldn't be surprised.

"Thank you. But there are many other fighters out there that are on the same level, or even above me." Though he himself was not really sure of his own words. He knew that not even his sister and her husband, who were acknowledged as the strongest martial artists in the world and were labeled as "Deadly Couple", could match his strength.

"This place looks new though" Hinowa commented, looking around the house.

"That is because it has been rebuilt once."

"Why did you rebuild it?"

"Something happened and the house was damaged, so we built it back, with the same design as it was." He didn't elaborate what happened and she didn't ask.

They continued to cook while conversing about small, mindless topics. They worked together in tandem and Hinowa found out that it felt so natural for them to cook together like this. She was also surprised at how good a cook Shouyou was. He really knew what he was doing when it came to cooking. It's pretty clear that despite his wealth and high status, he was used to housework. She started to think how lucky the woman who got him as a husband would be. She blushed involuntarily at her own thoughts. But that also piqued her interest. He was kind, strong, rich, intelligent, talented, and handsome. Why was it after so many years, he didn't find himself a lover? She asked this to him and he smiled at her.

"I just haven't found myself the right woman. The same could be said about you Hinowa-san."

"Me?"

"Yes. You are kind, caring, and understanding. And you are also good in housework, a perfect wife people would say. And you are also very beautiful." He focused back on the eggs he was stirring. "I personally find you quite attractive."

"Eh?" Startled, the knife in her hands accidentally grazed her pointer finger as she was cutting the meat. Blood spilled from the cut.

"Ouch."

"Are you okay?" Shouyou stopped what he was doing and went to her, inspecting her finger. He looked around. "I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I came here, I forget where I put the first aid kit."

"It's okay. I'm used to this."

On impulse, he took her hand and began to suck the bleeding finger. She shivered. It was not out of fear, but because of... something else...

Her whole body trembled, her heart palpitating in her chest. She didn't know why but seeing him sucking her finger made her feel weird.

Shouyou let her finger out of his mouth. The cut no longer bleed. "It stopped for now." He then looked up at Hinowa. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks flushed a little. She was staring at him and he stared back. The extent of his action finally dawned on him. He quickly let go of her hand as if it was fire and turned around, his back facing her. "I am sorry. I'll go search for the first aid kit." He walked out of the room briskly.

After he was gone, Hinowa let out a long sigh and put her hands on her flaming face. She then washed the cut on her hand. Not good. This was really not good. Just like back then, her body tingled every time he touched her. She had never met him again ever since that night, and yet, after many years not seeing him, his touch still had that effect on her. She felt so embarrassed. It felt awkward again around him. Though it's a different kind of awkwardness from before. And just when they were able to interact normally with each other.

She sighed again. The shiver was still there, and her heart still pounded in her chest...

But somehow, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

* * *

Dinner started and it went without as much noise as before. Everyone was tired after the long trip and they all went to bed almost immediately after eating.

Hinowa, Tsukuyo and Seita went back into their room to rest for the night. When she was sure Seita was sleeping soundly, Tsukuyo called her sister from her place in her futon. "Nee-san, you're still awake?"

"Yes, Tsukuyo. Is there something you want to talk about?"

"What exactly happened between you and Shouyou-san?" Hinowa knew sooner or later her sister would ask her about it.

"Let's just say that he knows about... my former occupation."

Tsukuyo put her weight on her elbow and looked at her sister in shock. "He does?"

"Yes. He... met me when I was in the middle of the work."

Tsukuyo bit her lips and frowned. This was what she's worried about. She didn't want Gintoki and his family to know about this part of their life. She didn't want them to look down on her or her sister. And to think that the one who found out about it was Gintoki's father, the dean himself.

"Don't worry. He agreed to keep it a secret. And he agreed to put the past behind us."

She looked up, hopefully. "Really?"

"Yes. He said he'd forget about it for Gintoki-kun and for your sake."

Tsukuyo let out a long sigh in relief. She let herself fell down on her futon again. "Thank goodness. He really is a nice person."

"Yes, he is."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, it is."

Tsukuyo knew her sister didn't tell her the whole story, but she let it go for now. "Alright then. Good night."

"Good night."

The two sisters slowly let sleep took over and finally rested with free minds.

* * *

Shouyou was walking around the garden of the house. He stopped in front of the pond. It had been fishless ever since the place was rebuilt. He watched Elizabeth swimming around in the water and smiled. The moon was reflected on the water.

"Haven't slept yet?" a voice asked from behind him. He knew who it was even without seeing the person.

"I couldn't sleep. How about you?"

"The same" but the yawn that came with that answer made it less convincing.

"It seems to me that you are really sleepy Gintoki."

"Doesn't change the fact that I can't sleep. I can't rest if something's still plaguing my mind." Shouyou knew what was coming.

"So what's up with you and Hinowa-san?" His father didn't answer and instead, continue to stare at the moon's reflection on the pond's water. "Does she know?" Shouyou turned to his son, his face expressionless. "She _knows_ , doesn't she?"

"Not the detail. But she did see me when I..." he trailed off, not continuing his sentence. He didn't have to, Gintoki already knew what he meant.

"What should we do then?" Gintoki asked him.

"Nothing. She has agreed to keep it a secret."

Gintoki blinked. "She has?"

"Yes. She promised me she wouldn't tell anyone. And after all, she didn't exactly know everything. She just witnessed it. So I guess we are safe."

"Good." Gintoki nodded. They couldn't let anyone know. He wouldn't let anyone know. Especially Tsukuyo.

He raised his eyebrow at his father. "Anything else?"

Shouyou smiled mysteriously. Gintoki knew him too well to know when he was lying. He would notice it if he tried to hide it. He put a hand on his son's head, carding his fingers through the silver locks. "Maybe some other time. For now, let us rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

Gintoki frowned at his father, but he complied. "Fine then. But I still can't sleep."

"Should I sing you a lullaby like old times?"

"No way."


	6. Ranch

**Thank you for those who review.**

 **For Jentex, thank you very much for the constructive criticism *am I spelling it right?* I have corrected the parts you have pointed to me. Just as you guessed, English is not my first language, but I'm learning it. That's why I decide to write fanfiction in English instead of my native language. Feel free to tell me if something needs correction. Thank you for your compliment *blush*. And, if you haven't read the prequel of this fic, "Family Dinner with The Yoshidas", you may want to check it out, as some parts of this story were connected to it. And to answer your question, in this AU, Tsukuyo can't exactly "fight" because she never learns how to. In Gintama universe, Tsukuyo can fight because she learned it from Jiraia. Here, I headcanon her as one of the most athletic students in the school but unlike Gintoki, she never learns martial arts and is not part of any clubs in the school. However, if someday she decides to learn, she will be a great fighter. Whether she will learn martial arts in this AU as the story progress** **is** **still up for debate. Maybe Gintoki will teach her?**

In the morning, the group set out to go to the ranch. It was located at the foot of the mountain, not far from Otose's shop. Just like yesterday, Gintoki and Tsukuyo rode the motorcycle while the others rode the van. Being the smaller and faster one, the couple arrived before the others. Tsukuyo saw the green and brown scenery in front of her. The whole place was covered in green grass, except for a road that went through the ranch. There were many wooden stables lined up along the road. The buildings were separated from the meadow by wooden fence. At the end of it, there was a large, western-styled tavern, most likely part of the ranch. She could see the cattle like sheep, cows, and even rabbits. But the most she had seen were horses. She and Gintoki stopped in front of a large house in the middle of the line of stables.

"What is this place?"

"This is the house of the owner of this ranch."

The house, unlike Yoshida's Japanese-styled villa, was western-styled. It looked like Victorian manor.

"So we come here to ask the owner's permission to enter?"

"Well it's not like we have to ask for permission. They always let us in whenever we want. It's just formality. To tell them that we are here."

"You know the owner of this ranch?"

"Well, yeah. And there is a telltale for his presence, which is-"

"AHAHAHA!"

"A loud annoying laugh."

A young man, who was the same age as Gintoki and Tsukuyo walked out of the stable beside the house. He had curly brown hair and sea blue eyes. He walked toward them, laughing loudly along the way. Her eyes widened. It was their classmate and one of Gintoki's closest friends, who was also part of the Joui Band, Sakamoto Tatsuma.

"AHAHAHA! Kintoki, long time no see!"

"My name is _GIN_ toki you moron. And what the hell are you talking about? We met in school four days ago."

"Eh, really? Time sure flys by huh? AHAHAHAHAH!"

Gintoki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Where's your old man?"

"In the back of the house, talking to Murata-san. And where's yours?"

"On the way here. Tell him and the rest of the family that we're coming."

"Wait!" The two friends turned to Tsukuyo.

"AH! Hello Tsukuyo-san! You're here too!"

"Hello too Tatsuma-kun, but I want to ask... what are you doing here?"

Gintoki raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? Tatsuma's family owns this ranch."

Tsukuyo gaped in surprise. "What?! Really?"

"If you read the sign beside the lamppost on our way here, you could see it read 'Sakamoto Ranch'."

She pondered. She did saw a sign beside the lamppost, complete with a street sign. But because Gintoki was riding so fast, she didn't get the chance to read the whole words. She turned to Tatsuma, who only laughed loudly. "I am sorry that I didn't notice Tatsuma-kun. It's nice to be here."

"AHAHAH! Don't worry. But Kintoki, you even brought your girlfriend during vacation. You're really clingy. I know you're a sadist but isn't that like, a control freak? AHAHAH!"

"Who're you calling contro-"

"It's not just me. My whole family is also invited."

Tatsuma then abruptly stopped laughing. "Wow... You must be very serious with her huh?"

Tsukuyo blushed and looked down, embarrassed. She glanced at Gintoki to see his reaction, and was surprised to him blushing as well.

"S-Shut up!" he said, turning away with reddened cheeks. This was one of the rare moments she actually saw him flush. Their eyes met and he averted his eyes away. Seeing him blush only made her flush even redder. Tatsuma laughed at the couple.

"AHAHAHAH! Look at you guys! Blushing at the same time! How cute! Wait here, I'll call my Dad!" then he just went into the house and left them alone.

"I-is that true?"

"What?"

"That you are serious with me?"

He flushed again and looked away from her. For a moment, he didn't say anything, until she heard him say in a low voice, "You just realize it now?"

She blushed redder, but a joyful smile bloomed on her face.

A minute later, the van arrived. At the same time, the rest of Sakamoto family went out of the house to meet them. Tatsuma came with an old man and an old woman, whom Tsukuyo assumed to be his parents, and an older girl and an older guy, both around Oboro's age. His older siblings?

"AHAHAH! Nice to have you here Shouyou-san!"

"It's nice to be here Tatsuma-kun" the older man replied, smiling friendly.

"Shouyou-san, welcome back to our family ranch!" the old man greeted them with a smile as bright as Tatsuma's. "It's been a long time since you came here!"

"Thank you for welcoming us Kyohei-san. I have been busy lately that I can only visit during long holidays like this."

"AHAHAHAH, no worries!" Kyohei's voice was booming, and that annoying laugh... Definitely Tatsuma's father. "I see that you have guests" he commented, indicating the three people who weren't part of Yoshida family.

"Oh, yes. We bring some friends to join us in this vacation. This is Tsukuyo-san, Gintoki's girlfriend, and her sister and nephew, Hinowa-san and Seita-kun."

Kyohei nodded to the Hoshinas. "It's nice to meet you! Especially cause we have such beauties here!" he said, glancing at Tsukuyo and Hinowa playfully. The old woman beside him, most likely his wife, slapped his head comically.

"Stop flirting with everything in a skirt!"

"I'm just kidding okay! Kidding!" The others watched the exchange, amused.

"It is nice to meet you too, Sakamoto-san" Hinowa said, smiling politely.

"Don't call me by my last name. Just call us by our first names. Oh right, let me introduce my family. My name is Sakamoto Kyohei. This is my wife Masumi" he said, pointing at the woman beside him. "That is my eldest daughter Sanae" he said, pointing at the older girl. "That is my first son, Kouichi" he pointed at the older guy. "And that..."

"AHAHAHAH!"

"You may already know, is my youngest son, Tatsuma. He, unfortunately, inherited my booming laugh."

"AHAHAHAH! What're you talking about Dad?! This laugh is the characteristic of Sakamoto family and what makes us unique! You should be proud!"

"True! AHAHAHAH!" Everyone sweatdropped as the father and son continued to laugh together.

* * *

After they met the Sakamoto family, everyone split up to do their own things.

"Remember not to get into trouble! Or cause trouble! Hey, do you hear me?!" Oboro shouted at his siblings, who all walked away from him, off to wander. They waved their hands backward and continued leaving, without looking back at him. "Yeah, yeah..."

Oboro sighed exasperatedly. "Really Oboro, stop being so strict and serious" he heard a female voice said behind him.

He turned around to see a woman with short, spiky blue hair and dark green eyes, carrying a big hammer over her shoulder. It was his childhood friend as well as his college friend, Murata Tetsuko. "Tetsuko!"

"Don't be so uptight, Onii-san. Look, even the adults are taking it easy." She cooked her head toward the house. Shouyou was talking to Kyohei, and Hinowa was conversing with both Masumi and Sanae.

"What are you doing here?" Oboro asked one his closest college friends, even though they were from different majors.

"My family is hired by Sakamoto-san to build a log house beside the main house." Murata family worked as carpenters. Tetsuko herself, was pursuing Bachelor degree for Architecture in Gintama University.

She smiled. "Come on control freak. Let's have some drink with me."

"What about your job?"

"My father and brother can handle that. Come on." She pulled Oboro to the nearby tavern.

* * *

"I've never rode a horse before" Tsukuyo said as Gintoki brought out a stallion, with black fur and reddish brown mane.

"You're a good athlete. You're one of the best athletes in our school. You're good in tennis, swimming, softball, and volleyball."

"Those have nothing to do with horse-riding."

"Doesn't matter. I'm sure you can do this." Gintoki smiled at her as Tsukuyo looked hesitant. "Come here." He motioned for her to get closer.

He helped her get on the large stallion and onto the saddle, and gave her the rein. "Now try it." She hesitantly pulled the rope. The horse neighed and jumped a little, startling her. She almost fell off the horse, if Gintoki didn't put his hands on her waist.

"You're pulling it too hard. And you don't sit right." He corrected her sitting position, but she was back to her original position when he let go of his hands. He sighed. "Don't be too tense. You just have to sit up straight. Move over."

She looked confused, but complied nonetheless, and moved forward a bit on the saddle. He climbed onto the horse and sat behind her, his hand reaching hers from behind. "Relax and don't grip the rein. But don't be too slack either."

She blushed and looked down, embarrassed at their position. Gintoki smirked at her reaction. "With this you won't fall and I can teach you more properly right?"

"Um... right." Though she ended up not listening to the lessons anyway, as she was too dazed by the larger body that enveloped her smaller one.

* * *

On the other side of the fence, Shinsuke and Tatsuma were watching the couple, who were riding together on the same horse around the meadow. "AHAHAHAH! Look at Kintoki! Going all PDA with his girlfriend! Does he want to make us jealous?!"

Shinsuke snorted. "You know how shameless he is."

"AHAHAHA! At least he's happy!" He then turned to Shinsuke and said with softer voice. "You and Kotarou however, are hopeless."

Shinsuke frowned. "You- what do you mean by hopeless?"

"Well, your love life of course! You two let Gintoki get ahead of you! I mean, look at Kotarou!"

They turned to look behind them. There, Kotarou was playing and feeding the sheep and the rabbits with Seita.

"They're so cute, right Seita-kun?" Kotarou asked the boy. He smiled blissfully, complete with flowers in the background, and a blush spreading on his cheeks, as the animals swarmed around them. He caressed their soft fur. _Ah... I'm in paradise._

"Yes, they are!" Seita replied enthusiastically.

"This place still looks as nice as ever, isn't it Dad?" a female voice suddenly said.

Kotarou looked up to see a woman, with long blonde hair, tied into low side ponytail. She was pushing an elderly man, with thick, swirly glasses, who sat on a wheel chair. They were walking on a footpath at the back of the ranch, leading to the tavern. When their eyes met, Kotarou blinked in surprise. The woman seemed to be as surprised as him.

"Ikumatsu-senpai."

"K-Kotarou-k-kun?"

Seita looked at the two of them in confusion. The man in the wheel chair finally noticed Kotarou and his eyes lightened up from behind his glasses. "Ah! The Yoshida boy! Long time no see! How do you do?"

"Indeed, it has been a long time Nishiki-san. I'm fine. And you?"

"Ah, me? Just regular check up to the hospital once every few weeks. Other than that, I'm okay." He turned to the young woman, who was fidgeting in her spot. "Hey Ikumatsu, greet him will you!"

"Oh! Yes... Um... It's nice to meet you here Kotarou-kun."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ikumatsu-senpai." Nishiki Ikumatsu was Kotarou's senior in the debate club. She graduated from Gintama High last year, and was pursuing Bachelor degree of Culinary Arts in Gintama University. Ever since her graduation a year ago, the two barely met each other, Kotarou focusing on school and Ikumatsu focusing on college.

"What are you doing here, my boy?" Nishiki Matsugorou, Ikumatsu's father asked him.

"I am on a vacation with my family here."

"I see. It's good that we finally meet. Ikumatsu has been feeling lonely ever since she graduated, since she couldn't see you anymore."

Ikumatsu blushed and stuttered at her father's comment. "D-Dad! T-t-that's not t-true! I-I was-"

"What are you doing here Nishiki-san?" Kotarou asked the elderly man.

"We're just taking a walk. The shop is not opened today so we don't have many things to do." The Nishiki family owned a clothing store near Sakamoto ranch, which was quite successful. "And this boy?" the man asked, looking at Seita.

"Oh, this is my brother's girlfriend's nephew, Seita-kun" Kotarou answered in one breath.

"Hello! I'm Seita" the boy greeted at the Nishikis and they smiled.

"What were you doing when we came by?" Ikumatsu asked.

"We're feeding the sheep and the rabbits."

"Still having attachment for little animals, I see. I bet you still have that penguin around."

"Of course! Elizabeth and I are inseparable! That we've met in Alaska is destiny!" The older girl sighed at his answer. He was still as bizarre as ever. Sometimes she wondered what was inside that head of his. Nevertheless, she smiled. His attachment to cute, small animals was one of the few things about him that she always found cute.

"Want to join us to eat?" she suddenly blurted out. He looked up at her in surprise, and she stuttered "I-I mean, i-it's almost time for lunch! That is... if you want ot... O-of course, Seita-kun t-too!"

"Ah, right. We were on our way to the Sakamoto family tavern. Want to eat with us?" Matsugorou offered.

Kotarou pondered. "Now that I think of it, it has been a while since breakfast."

"I'm hungry" Seita added. "Let's go Kotarou-san!"

Kotarou nodded. "Alright. I think I may accept your invitation."

"Stop talking as if you are in a courtroom" Ikumatsu said. She started walking away, leaving Kotarou behind. Her back was facing him, and he couldn't see a small smile on her face.

* * *

Shinsuke and Tatsuma were watching the whole thing with Kotarou and Ikumatsu.

"AHAHAHAHA! Okay, so I guess Kotarou isn't as hopeless as I thought." He then turned to his shorter friend. "You however..."

"Shut up. Look at yourself first before you start meddling into others' business. How are things with Mutsu?"

"We? We're just fine, AHAHAHAHA!"

"Okay Tatsuma, tell me what's going on."

Tatsuma smiled softly. He knew that he couldn't really hide things from Shinsuke. He, Gintoki and Kotarou knew him too well to see the real emotions behind all his laughs. "I don't know... It maybe just me, but... I think she's been avoiding me lately. Whenever I call her, she always finds excuses to stop the conversation immediately. Whenever I greeted her at school, she always finds excuses to leave me..." Tatsuma said, in a softer voice. "If it's because something I did that made her mad, then it's fine. But I'm worried that maybe it's because she's doing... those kinds of shady things... You know the things that her family does... I'm worried about her."

"Maybe she just gets tired of hearing your annoying cackle. You should lower the volume of your laugh. Seriously, I don't know how you end up with such a dangerous girl. It's like you find yourself trapped in a land mine."

Really, Mutsu was not a girl to be scoffed at. No females from the Yato Clan should be scoffed at. His aunt was a primary example. When Gintoki, Kotarou and Shinsuke found out that Tatsuma was going out with a member of the Yato clan, they couldn't help but worry and fear for their friend's safety. Being cousins with them, they knew the true nature of that clan. Not many people knew how strong, wild and ruthless the Yatos were. And not many people knew that they were actually Chinese mafia family that controlled China's underworld. Even so, the clan was branched and many of the members didn't share the same view, so there were many internal conflicts. The famous one was the past rivalry between their uncle and the "Night King" Housen. Though it was ended by their father... But it was a story for another time.

Shinsuke remembered Uncle Kankou had told them that Mutsu was trying to convince her father to approve her relationship with Tatsuma. Something that he, Gintoki and Kotarou never told their friend about. He knew why Mutsu distanced herself from Tatsuma as of late. She didn't want to get him involved in her family business, which secretly, involved human-trafficking. Because even after all these years, Tatsuma was still a good-hearted, naive idiot, who cherished every living being on earth, who regarded everyone as important, even the kids who bullied him. And Mutsu wanted to keep him that way. She wanted him to stay kind and innocent forever. She wanted him to stay pure even if she herself had to dirty her hands.

"AHAHAHA! I know what you mean Shinsuke! But I guess it's worth it. She's worth it."

Shinsuke went silent after hearing that. For a moment, neither of them said anything. After a while, Tatsuma started to laugh again. "AHAHAHA! Enough about me! If I remember, we were talking about you! Your love life to be specific!"

Shinsuke groaned. Telling Tatsuma about his feelings was really a bad idea. But... he couldn't tell his family about this particular matter... "I thought we agree that my case was a lost cause."

"You wouldn't know unless you try. You know, she might be-"

"It's too risky!" Shinsuke sighed and buried his face on his hands. "I don't want to ruin everything. One wrong move, and we could never go back to the way it was."

Tatsuma looked at his friend sadly. He was the only person that Shinsuke had confided to regarding his feelings. He hoped he could help Shinsuke in this. But his case was more complicated than that. In the end, it was up to Shinsuke himself.

For once, Tatsuma didn't say anything. He stood there beside Shinsuke, giving his friend a silent company.


	7. Horse

Hinowa breathed in the fresh air of the countryside. She was alone, gazing at the green meadow in front of her, which was separated from the house by the wooden fence. She couldn't do much due to her physical condition. But she was content sitting here, just watching the picturesque scenery in front of her.

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?" a voice suddenly remarked beside her. Hinowa jumped a little in her seat and looked at the person next to her. Shouyou somehow was already there, standing while putting his arms on the wooden fence, staring at the meadow like she had done before he came.

"Shouyou-san! I didn't notice you come."

Shouyou chuckled. "You seemed to be immersed in the scenery, so I guess you didn't hear my footsteps. Masumi-san and Sanae-san are not with you?"

"They have some work to do. They were hesitant to leave me, so I told them that I'd be okay. Someone will eventually come and join me."

"Then, would you mind if I give you some company?"

Her heart skipped a beat and she turned away from him, looking ahead, smiling a little. "Of course not Shouyou-san. Your company is really enjoyable."

Shouyou smiled and looked ahead as well, at the green that laid before them. They stayed like that for who knew how long, enjoying the comfortable silence. "I've never been on a vacation before. This is my first time. So thank you for inviting us here" Hinowa suddenly said.

Shouyou blinked in surprise. "You've never gone on vacation? Not even to the countryside?"

"No."

"Did your parents ever bring you to go somewhere around the town?"

"My parents..." Hinowa trailed off, unable to continue.

Shouyou realized he had come upon a touchy subject. "I am sorry for asking. You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Before Hinowa could reply, they heard Seita calling. "Mom! Shouyou-san!" The two looked to the side and saw the boy running toward them.

"Seita-kun, weren't you with Kotarou just now?" Shouyou asked as the boy came and clung to his mother's arm.

Seita pouted. "Kotarou-san is busy talking with a blonde woman and an old man with thick glasses. We're just eating and talking. But they started to talk about difficult things that I don't understand, so I went out because it's boring in there."

"Ah, Ikumatsu-san isn't it?" Shouyou chuckled, knowing his son's crush on his upperclassman. "I think we should leave them alone, Seita-kun."

They heard galloping sound of horse and turned to look at the meadow again. There, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were riding together on the same horse. Gintoki looked really smug while Tsukuyo looked embarrassed.

"Aren't they cute?" Hinowa commented, giggling as she watched the couple.

"They really are" Shouyou agreed, chuckling as well.

"I want to do what Gin-nii and Tsukuyo-nee do!" Seita exclaimed. The two adults turned to him, puzzled. "Not being lovey dovey... Though I want to try it someday with Izumi-chan" the boy said, whispering the last part. "I want to ride a horse!"

Hinowa frowned in worry. "But you never rode a horse before. You don't know how."

"Then I want to learn." His mother still looked concerned.

Hinowa felt Shouyou put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "I think I can teach him."

"Really Shouyou-san?" The boy turned to the man, eyes sparkling.

"Yes. But you need a special horse." Shouyou then left and entered one of the stables. Hinowa and Seita blinked in confusion. A moment later, Shouyou went back, bringing a shorter and smaller horse by the rein, with cream-colored fur and mane. The horse's head when it straightened it, only reached Shouyou's shoulder. "If you want to ride a horse, it is better if you ride this one."

"It's small! Smaller than the one Gin-nii and Tsukuyo-nee are riding."

"Of course. It's a pony horse."

"Pony horse?"

"It's a kind of horse too, but smaller" Hinowa explained to her son.

"Come on Seita-kun. I'll teach you how to ride a horse" Shouyou called out.

Now that he was faced directly with a horse, Seita was hesitant. His feet were rooted to the spot as he kept watching the pony. Hinowa pushed him gently. "Come on. Aren't you the one who wants to learn how to ride a horse? You can't do that if you won't even get closer to the horse" his mother said, chuckling.

Shouyou smiled reassuringly and waved at him to come over. Seita hesitantly walked toward him and the horse. When he got closer, the pony, sensing his presence, turned its head sharply to his direction. It let out a neigh, which caused the boy to jump. Seita ran to Shouyou and hugged his waist tightly.

Shouyou chuckled a little at Seita's reaction. The boy reminded him of Gintoki when he brought his children to a haunted house years ago. While the others were busy exploring, Gintoki held on to Shouyou's hand for dear life. Once in a while, he let go to look around like his siblings. But everytime he saw or heard something, he ran back to Shouyou and gripped his father's hand.

Shouyou petted Seita's head gently. "It's okay. Yume was just greeting you."

Seita looked up at the man. "Yume?"

"That's her name."

"She's a girl?" Seita asked, surprised.

"Yes, she is. You want to touch her?"

Hinowa watched as Shouyou coaxed Seita to touch the horse. She smiled as Seita finally braved himself to pet the pony's head. The little horse let him do it, letting out a neigh like before but this time, it didn't make Seita jump. The pony licked the boy's hand, which caused him to let out a cry of surprise. Shouyou laughed at that.

"Now you want to try riding her?" the man asked and the boy nodded. He lifted the boy and placed him on the saddle. "Now straighten your back and take the rein. Don't grip it too hard, but don't be too slack either. And put your feet in these holes." Seita followed his instruction with such a cute, serious expression on his little face, which made the man chuckled a little.

Hinowa smiled as she watched them. Shouyou was really good with children. Then again, it was a testament of his skill in raising five children all by himself. She then sighed a little. As his parent, it was supposed to be her who taught Seita about such a thing. But she couldn't do much because of her condition. There was Tsukuyo, but she knew she couldn't always depend on her little sister. She wanted Tsukuyo to have healthy teenage life, in which she could freely spend time with her friends and lamenting on school, just like other normal school girls, without burdening her with family problems.

"Mom, look! I'm riding a horse!" Seita called to his mother, who sat on her wheel chair, watching them from the other side of the fence. He waved at her and she waved back.

"You look great, Seita!"

Hinowa glanced at the man who stood beside her son, and smiled at him in silent gratitude. He smiled back at her.

* * *

"Hey Kouichi-san, do you have a horse I can ride right now? Possibly, a mare?" Nobume asked Tatsuma's older brother, who was feeding the horses in the stable. The older boy was thinking.

"Most of the mares are brought out for milking today. There are only stallions left, if you count the ponies out"

Nobume shrugged. "Then I'm fine riding a stallion. It's just that I prefer mare if I can choose."

"Why do you prefer mare anyway?"

"Womanly bond." Kouichi sweatdropped at her answer.

Nobume looked around the stable, searching for a horse she wanted to ride. Her eyes caught a large and muscular white stallion. It didn't wear a saddle or a rein. The horse turned to her when she neared, as if knowing who she was.

"Isn't it..."

"Ah! Yes! You remember him right?"

Nobume nodded, putting a hand on the white stallion's head, caressing its fur. "Yeah. It's been a long time since I met you, Ashura." The stallion walked forward and let her caress his snowy-white fur. "I think I'll ride him."

"You better be careful" a voice said behind her. She turned around to see Shinsuke walking toward her and Kouichi with Tatsuma.

"Shin-nii."

"It's a demon horse remember? He only listens to Gintoki."

"Don't worry. He has become milder over the years. I think it's safe to ride him now" Kouichi told Shinsuke.

Shinsuke still didn't look convinced. He frowned, and said "You still have to be careful."

"Of course I am" Nobume said as she put the saddle and the rein on the horse. After everything was ready, she climbed on Ashura and started to ride him. The horse walked slowly out of the stable. Shinsuke, Tatsuma and Kouichi walked behind them, Shinsuke still looking worried.

"Relax. Wipe that frown from your face. Stop being too overprotective. She's rode a horse before. She'll be fine" Tatsuma whispered to his friend with a grin.

* * *

Oboro was carrying a large log of wood with Tetsuko and her brother, Tetsuya.

"You told me to relax. But I ended up helping you in your work anyway" Oboro said, huffing. He and Tetsuko were having tea and chatting in the tavern, before Tetsuya came in and dragged them both away. Oboro somehow winded up helping the Muratas in their works.

"Oh, come on. What's wrong in helping a friend?" Tetsuko said.

"STOP TALKING AND KEEP WORKING, CURLY! MEN TALK WITH ACTIONS NOT WORDS!" Tetsuya said, er- screamed."

Oboro widened his eyes and his mouth slighly gaped in surprise. " _Curly_?" Tetsuko laughed at his expression.

"Ah, there you are! Bring it here!" said a man's voice. Oboro looked in front of them. There stood Murata Jintetsu, Tetsuko and Tetsuya's father, the best and most famous carpenter in the city. The three put the log of wood down. Oboro cracked his shoulder a little. "Thank you for helping us here, Oboro-kun" Jintetsu told him, smiling friendly.

"Don't mention it" Oboro replied. He watched as the three Muratas picked the log and put it upright. "What is that log for?"

"It's for the main pillar of the house" Tetsuko replied. The Muratas pushed the log into the ground, to make it stand up.

"Good! This is enough I guess. Let's get new woods" Jintetsu said as he picked up his axe.

They, including Oboro, went to the forest to get more wood. Unfortunately, they didn't realize that the log wasn't dug into the earth deep enough. The strong wind blew the tall wood that stood in the middle of the grassy plane. The wood swayed for a while until it could no longer stood upright, falling forward.

* * *

Nobume rode Ashura slowly. She knew that just like Shinsuke had said, Ashura, unlike the other horses, was not completely tame. That's why she decided to just walk around the ranch with him, careful not to make the horse agitated. Only Gintoki and their father seemed to be able to control the stallion. Gintoki said it was a demon-thing.

"NOBUME! WATCH OUT" she heard Shinsuke screamed. She looked around her and to her right, she saw a tall and large log of wood falling forward to her direction. The wood thankfully didn't fall on her. But it did fell in front of Ashura, the hard surface grazing the horse's head before falling in front of his legs with a loud booming sound. Startled, the horse neighed loudly and jumped, standing high on his hind legs. He bolted forward, jumping over the large wood, taking his rider with him.

"NOBUME!" Shinsuke ran after her, screaming in concern. "Let go of the rein!"

"I can't! The rope is tied around my wrists!"

"Someone stop that horse!" Kouichi screamed in panic. They spotted a figure, sitting on a wheel chair, right in front of the horse. _Oh no..._

* * *

Hinowa was engrossed in watching her son, playing with the pony horse, Shouyou standing beside him. The man glanced at her. Suddenly, his face paled and his eyes widened. "HINOWA-SAN!" he screamed at her.

She looked confused, until she heard a galloping sound right next to her. She turned to her left and saw a large, white horse coming toward her direction. Everything happened so fast. The horse was half a meter away from her and she was sure she would definitely get trampled. She prepared herself for the pain, closing her eyes. Instead of feeling the sharp pain from horse's feet on one's body, she felt a hand pulled her against a muscular chest. She felt herself fall to the side and off of her wheel chair, onto the ground. But she didn't really feel the impact because a larger and stronger body had enveloped around her frail, smaller one, and took the impact of the fall. After everything calmed down a bit, she opened her eyes and looked down on Shouyou's concerned face. She was lying on top of him, his arms encircling her body.

"Are you okay, Hinowa-san?" he asked, voice dripping with worry. He gasped a little. This close, she could see the sweat clinging on his forehead, which for some reason, looked like sparkles to her. "Hinowa-san?" he asked again worriedly.

"I'm okay" she finally answered after snapping herself out of her daze. He nodded and let go of her, which somehow, made her feel suddenly cold.

"NOBUME!" they heard someone screaming. They turned to look at the white horse that nearly trampled on Hinowa and saw a blue-haired girl riding on top of it, with a dark-haired guy running after her.

"Nobume is riding that horse!" Shouyou exclaimed, standing up.

* * *

Nobume was trying to uncoil the rein from her wrists. Somehow, in her shock when the log fell in front of her, her wrist had entangled with the rein. She couldn't let go, and she could feel herself almost falling off the horse as it continued to gallop.

Finally, she was able to free her hands from the knot. She pulled the rein to stop Ashura from running. The horse neighed loudly, jumping in the air and standing on his hind legs, causing her to fall backward. But before she could touch the ground, two arms caught her. She opened her eyes to look at the horse. Ashura, thankfully, had stopped. She turned to see her savior and saw her brother's worried expression.

Shinsuke gasped a little from the running, he carried Nobume in his arms, bridal style. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded her head and he did something that shocked her.

He smiled. A full blown smile. She knew that among her brothers, he was the least often to smile. But once he smiled, his whole face lightened. She knew that, but seeing him smiled happily at her still surprised her. Her voice caught in her throat and she gaped. Her heart beat faster and her lips quivered a little.

After a moment, the smile disappeared from Shinsuke's face. He glared at Nobume angrily. "I told you to be careful."


	8. Childhood

After the commotion, everyone gathered around the place. Hinowa watched as they all asked her what's going on, whether she was alright, or whether she was hurt. Shouyou stayed with her the whole time, until his presence was replaced by her younger sister and her son. They both hugged her tightly.

"Mom! You're alright!"

"Nee-san! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! What happened?!"

"I'm okay, Tsukuyo. Don't worry. As for what happened..."

"It was all my fault" Nobume said as she walked toward them with Shinsuke, holding the rein of a white horse.

"Nobume?" Gintoki said questioningly, turning to his sister, then to the horse. "Ashura?"

"So the horse is Ashura. I didn't realize because of the shock and panic" Shouyou commented. Seeing Gintoki and Shouyou looking at him with such critical gaze, the white stallion put his head down, as if in guilt and shame.

"What's going on?!" Kyohei asked, running to the place with his wife and daughter in tow.

"Calm down, Dad" Tatsuma said, trying to calm his father.

"Actually..." Kouichi started.

"Apparently it was our fault." They turned to see the Murata family, together with Oboro. "It was because of our carelessness. I am terribly sorry" Murata Jintetsu said, bowing deeply.

"Nobume, Hinowa-san, are you hurt?" Oboro asked frantically. He sighed. "I am very sorry."

"Dad, what happened here?" Kotarou asked his father as he arrived at the scene with Ikumatsu and Matsugorou. Everyone started to talk at the same time and Hinowa couldn't recognize who's talking anymore among the blending voices.

"BE QUIET!" someone shouted loudly. Everyone stopped talking abruptly. They turned to Tetsuya, who yelled just now. "IT IS NOT THE TIME TO ARGUE! WE SHOULD LISTEN TO EVERYONE'S STORY TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!"

Shouyou cleared his throat loudly and this time, everyone turned to him. "I agree with Tetsuya-san. Now, we better hear what happened." He turned to the Muratas. "Starting of course from you, Tetsuya-san."

Eveyone started to recount what happened, from the Muratas log of wood, which suddenly fell from its upright position, from Ashura suddenly bolting due to shock, taking Nobume with him, and when the stallion almost smashed on Hinowa.

"I see. So that's what happened. Thank God, no one gets hurt" Masumi said, sighing in relief.

"We're very sorry for what happened. It is basically our fault. Because we didn't check whether the log was dug deep enough" Tetsuko said, bowing to them in guilt.

"I'm sorry for not reacting fast as well. I can't control him" Nobume said, looking down in shame. "And Hinowa-san almost got hurt because of me."

Hinowa smiled. "But I didn't right? So it's okay. Thanks to Shouyou-san, I'm safe."

Tsukuyo stood up and bowed deeply in front of the dean of her school. "Thank you very much for saving my sister, Shouyou-san."

"Thank you for saving Mom, Shouyou-san" Seita thanked him as well, taking the man's hand in his smaller ones. The man smiled and petted the boy's head.

"Don't worry. I invited you here, so your safety is also my responsibility."

Gintoki nodded. He then frowned. "We're sorry for what happened, Hinowa-san."

"Yes, we are terribly sorry" Oboro said, bowing deeply as well.

"Oh no! Please don't feel so guilty. I'm fine really. And what happened wasn't really your fault" Hinowa said, trying to stop them from feeling guilty.

"Well thankfully, no one gets hurt. It's good right?" Kotarou said.

"No one gets hurt. But something did get damaged" Sanae suddenly remarked. Everyone turned to her and she pointed at Hinowa's wheel chair. Or at least what was remaining of it.

Although Hinowa was saved from the horse's smash, apparently her wheel chair wasn't. The metal was bent and broken, the wheels had been smashed into pieces. Hinowa gaped, seeing the remains of her wheel chair. Everyone was shocked as well.

"Mom's wheel chair is broken!" Seita exclaimed.

"Oh no! This is all my fault! I'm very sorry Hinowa-san!" Nobume fell beside Hinowa, looking down guiltily. She looked like she wanted to cry. Hinowa quickly put her hand on the girl's cheek.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. It's just a chair. I can get a new one, anytime." Though she knew it wasn't that easy. Her wheel chair was an old model and she had never bought a new one for almost half a decade. She didn't know how much a wheel chair cost now. She might have to save some money for it.

"But how can you..." Nobume looked at Hinowa's leg.

"I still have crutches so don't worry." Nobume still looked sad and the woman caressed her cheek. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. The most important thing is no one gets hurt. I was also worried when you said you went off with the horse. You're not hurt, right?"

"Oh no. I'm fine" the girl said. Hinowa smiled reassuringly at her. The soft hand caressing her cheek and the sunny smile the woman was giving her calmed Nobume's nervousness.

"We can take it to Gengai-san to repair it" Shinsuke suggested.

"Or you can even buy a new one from him" Ikumatsu said suddenly. "He makes a custom-made wheel chair just recently."

"Really?" Kotarou asked.

The older woman nodded. "My father also uses wheel chair and when we went to Hiraga-san to ask him to repair it, he offered us a new wheel chair instead. One that he made himself."

"It was really good!" Matsugorou added. He pointed to the wheel chair he sat on. It was an electric wheel chair with drive control. "You should get this!" he told Hinowa, holding out a thumb at her with a gtin.

"I'll think about it" Hinowa said with a smile. She knew that she couldn't afford that electric wheel chair, but she thanked him for the suggestion.

"I'll call Gengai-san and tell him about this right now" Oboro said, pulling out his phone.

Shouyou nodded. "Yes, thank you." He turned to Hinowa with a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I assure you that you will have your wheel chair back."

Hinowa nodded and smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry too for what happened" Kyohei said. "Stay here for dinner! We'll treat you with the best hospitality! And don't worry! It's free! Come to the tavern!"

Everyone cheered, even Hinowa was smiling happily. Seeing her joyful smile calmed them down, knowing that she wasn't angry after what happened.

"Hinowa-san, did you bring your crutches here?" Kotarou asked the woman, who was still sitting on the ground.

"No. I left them at the house."

"Then how are you going to walk?" Tsukuyo was about to offer to carry her sister when a voice beat her to it.

"I'll carry her." Everyone turned to Shouyou, who was smiling unperturbed.

"Ah, is that okay Shouyou-san?" Hinowa asked, a bit nervously. She felt a flutter coming at the thought of another physical contact with the man.

"Of course. Just like I said, you are my guest. I invited you here so your safety and comfort is my responsibility."

Hinowa looked down, flushing a little. "If you say so."

"Oh, Shouyou-san, you don't have to. You are my guest too and so I'm responsible. Let me carry he- OW!" Kyohei said, until Masumi twisted his ear.

"You just want an excuse to touch her, you perverted old man!"

"I didn't! I was genuinely concerned! It's not that I want to touch her! Though it would be nice- OW!" Everyone sweatdropped as they watched Masumi pull her husband by the ear toward their house.

Gintoki snorted. "Like father, like son" he commented as he looked at Tatsuma.

"AHAHAHA! What are you talking about Kintoki?!"

"The name's Gintoki!" Gintoki moved to hit Tatsuma, until Tsukuyo grabbed his arm.

"Calm down Gintoki. You wouldn't want to hit him in front of his family, right?" He didn't care even if it was in front of his family. They were used in seeing their violent interaction anyway. "How about we go to the house now?" Tsukuyo suggested. They all nodded and started to leave the scene.

Shouyou kneeled in front of Hinowa. "Shall we go then?" Hinowa blushed. Shouyou looked behind him and smiled at her.

"O-okay..." Hinowa carefully put her arms around Shouyou's neck and he grabbed the back of her knees. After everything's secured, he carefully stood up, with her on his back. Seita walked beside them, holding onto Shouyou's shirt.

The only ones left were Shinsuke and Nobume, who walked back to the stable to put Ashura inside. They watched Shouyou walked away, with Hinowa on his back, Seita walking and chattering beside them.

"Do you think they..."

"Yeah. I think they do."

* * *

That night, everyone gathered in Sakamoto family tavern. Even the Murata family and Nishiki family were there. Just as Kyohei promised, Sakamoto family treated all of them to dinner, in the tavern. Everyone was eating, drinking and talking to each other. There was some performance on the small stage there, and there was singing, using karaoke box. The mood was festive, until Tsukuyo, sitting in a table with Seita and Nobume, noticed someone missing.

"Where's Gintoki?" Tsukuyo asked.

"That's right. Gin-nii isn't here" Seita added.

"Him? Oh, he's probably in the stable, checking on Ashura" Nobume answered.

"Why?"

"Because that horse is a loose cannon, just like Gin-nii actually. Sometimes he's tame, sometimes, not so much. Even here in the ranch, Sakamoto-san and the others are having a hard time with him sometimes. He seems to only listen to Gin-nii... And our Dad too. Especially after what happened today, Tatsuma-san asked Gin-nii to check on him to make sure Ashura stays calm in his stable."

"Hmm..." Tsukuyo nodded. After a moment, she stood up. "I'm going to look for him. In which stable is he?"

Tsukuyo walked out of the tavern. Sakamoto family ranch had many stables, but Nobume had told her that Ashura was kept in the furthest stable, having a whole building to himself, due to his wild nature. Tsukuyo entered and sure enough, she saw Gintoki, feeding the white stallion some carrots.

"You're being a bad boy today, you know" he told the horse, who neighed in return.

"Talking with animals doesn't make you look sane" she commented. Gintoki turned to look at her in surprise.

"Tsukuyo, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you of course." She walked toward him and the horse. Ashura was still content in chewing his food.

"Sorry again for what happened to your sister... and her wheel chair."

"That's okay. Your father saved her after all."

Gintoki slapped the horse's head. "It's your fault. Apologize." The horse lowered his head, as if in shame. He turned to Tsukuyo and let out a low neigh, almost like he was apologizing.

Tsukuyo smiled and caressed the stallion's snowy-white mane. "I forgive you." Gintoki gave her a carrot. Knowing what he meant, she took it and handed it to Ashura. The horse quickly ate it. "He does seem to be calm around you" she commented, watching Gintoki patted the horse neck while the horse licked his other hand. "Back then, he looked wild."

"He really is a bit wild. He only obeys me sometimes. Me and my father anyway. He killed people once."

Tsukuyo turned to him in surprise. "He did?"

"Yeah. He was treated badly by the family who owned him before. His mate was killed and his foal was sold. One day, when he could not stand the abuse any longer, he went wild and killed them. The villagers had to shoot him and gave him some dope to calm him, but that didn't stop him for long. He even started attacking other horses too. And he was really strong, possibly due to the abuses he got from his previous owners. Ever since then, it seems hard for him to trust people."

"You and your father tamed him?"

"Sort of. My father was the one who did it anyway. Dad is strong. Not even a horse this big can stand up to him."

"He is that strong?" Tsukuyo asked in surprise.

"Yup! Very strong. So strong that it's almost unbelievable. Not even Uncle Kankou can beat him, and he is the second strongest man I know. The only one who is probably closest to his level is Aunty Kouka, but even she is having a hard time keeping up with Dad."

Tsukuyo's eyes nearly bulged and she gaped. She pictured Yoshida Shouyou in her mind. A man with big, clear and gentle eyes, and warm, friendly smiles. If Gintoki didn't tell her, she wouldn't guess that he was such a strong man. Being compared with Yato Kankou and Yato Kouka, the defending champions of all martial arts competitions in International level, the "Deadly Couple" renowned as the legendary martial artists from China, was really something.

"Was he the one who taught you how to fight?"

"Yeah. He taught all five of us."

"I see... So he tamed the horse?"

"Yeah. Ever since then, Ashura is scared of Dad. He always obeys him and even lets him ride on him."

"And how about with you?"

"Well, in my case, this horse for some reason did not attack me, like he did to the others. He only looked into my eyes and turned away. I think it is something of a kinship."

"Kinship?"

Gintoki shrugged. "He's called a demon horse. I'm called a demon child. So it's the same I guess. For that, we have some kind of bond with each other." He scratched the stallion's chin. "Isn't that right Ashura?"

Tsukuyo only stared at him. She did know that some of the gangs and delinquents in and around school called him a demon. But she didn't like hearing him admitting himself as a demon.

"He's really strong. Stronger than average horses. And he's wild. That's why I named him Ashura, from a demonic creature in Buddhism."

"You're the one who gave him that name?"

"Yeah." She watched as Gintoki played around with Ashura in this big stable, which belonged to the horse alone.

"You must have spent your childhood here for a long time then."

"Not that long. Only a year and a half. After that, we moved to the city. But we still come here, at least once a year. We still maintain communication with the people here."

She remembered that his family once opened a martial arts school here. "That's right. When was the dojo built?"

"You mean Shouka Sonjuku? It was opened ten years ago."

 _Ten years ago..._ "That means you're still here ten years ago?"

"Well, yeah."

Tsukuyo pondered about this and started calculating the time lines in her head. Gintoki said he and his family stayed in the countryside for only a year and a half. During that time, they opened a martial arts school called Shouka Sonjuku. She then started to match it with when Gintama school was established. Despite its fame and prestige, it had only been run for eight years. She remembered reading the history of the school and was surprised to find out that the school was founded eight years ago. At the first year, the institution only had an elementary school and middle school. The next two years, they established a high school. The year after that, they opened a kindergarten. And then three years after that, they built a university of their own. It was really shocking to know that such a famous and prestigious school could become that big in only eight years. But something was not right here. She always wondered why the media never published anything about this school other than its achievements. Surely, a school which became a big institution in such a short time should be looked into more deeply. And when she read that it already had an elementary school and a middle school in their first year, she felt strange. How could a private school build two establishments at the same year? Sure, they could do it if they had enough fund. But where did they get the teachers and staffs in such a short time? It's almost like the whole school, including the students, the teachers and the staffs just popped out of nowhere. Then again, maybe she was only thinking too hard.

"Gintoki."

"Yeah?"

"Our school was first established eight years ago, right?"

"Mhmm."

"That means, you already moved to the city at that time, right?"

"Yeah."

"Our school already had an elementary school and a middle school back then, right?"

"Hmm." She noticed that Gintoki subtly avoiding her eyes. After knowing him this long, she knew his habit when he was hiding something.

"Where did you get all the teachers and staffs back then?"

"We gathered some people of course. We asked around to our acquaintances and got enough people that were willing to work."

"You must have had a lot of money back then, to be able to pay that much people during the school's starting year."

"We've got a lot of help from my aunt's family and my father's old friends. I don't really remember since I was only nine back then." Gintoki got up and patted his stomach. "I'm hungry. Let's go back to eat."

Tsukuyo knew it was a signal to stop the conversation. Gintoki was still hiding the tidbits about his family. She knew it would take quite some time for him to be ready to tell her. She then smiled and took his hand in hers. "Yes. Let's go back."

* * *

Hinowa was sitting in a table alone, but it wasn't as if she didn't enjoy it. She watched as the others seemed to enjoy the small party. They took turns singing and she chuckled at them. She couldn't go anywhere with her condition. Her wheel chair was damaged and she didn't bring her crutches with her. She couldn't even get food by herself. She felt so useless. Even so, she kept a smile in front of everybody to make them stop worrying about her. She looked at the dining table and felt a bit hungry. She wanted to ask one of them to bring her some food, but the others seemed to be engrossed in the party. Suddenly, she heard someone sitting next to her. She looked up to see Shouyou, with a tray of food in his hand.

"Why is it that I never noticed you coming until you're right next to me?" Hinowa asked him playfully.

Shouyou chuckled. "Surprising people is one of my hobbies" he said, as he put the tray down on the table. "I noticed you haven't eaten and I remembered that you couldn't get the food by yourself. The other's seemed to forget about it, so I took the initiative to bring you some. Although I don't know if you like them."

Hinowa smiled at his kind act. "Thank you Shouyou-san. And don't worry. I like them" she said, taking a cup of pudding and a small spoon. She started to eat as Shouyou watched her quietly.

"I am sorry again for what happened to your wheel chair."

"It's alright. I told you it wasn't your fault, didn't I? If you keep apologizing, I might get angry" she said smiling playfully.

He chuckled. "Alright then, I'll stop apologizing."

They suddenly heard a slow instrumental song coming from the karaoke box. Some of the people in the room stood up and danced. Shouyou found his children one by one among the dancing couples. He smiled as he saw Kotarou dancing with Ikumatsu awkwardly. Both of them were blushing and avoiding each other's eyes. Oboro and Tetsuko started to dance as well. He spotted Gintoki and Tsukuyo among them, easily the most intimate among the pairs. The two had disappeared to who knows where and they suddenly appeared now. He blinked as he watched Nobume dragging Shinsuke to the dance floor. They started to dance together, which he found a bit odd. But he supposed there was nothing wrong with a dance between brother and sister.

"You're not dancing Shouyou-san?" Hinowa asked him.

"No. I think I'll stay here. Let the young ones have the dance floor." She nodded and started eating again.

For a few minutes, they enjoyed the comfortable silence, just watching everybody dancing and listening to the soft music. No one seemed to paid their corner any mind. Hinowa spotted Seita, dancing with Sanae, and chuckled. She turned to the man beside her. His long hair looked even shinier as the moonlight hit it. His clear gray eyes, watching the dance with contentment. He had been very kind to her. He was so nice, so caring, and so understanding. He had seen the worst of her. Well, she too, had seen something about him that other people might had never seen before. She felt safe around him. Despite what she had seen of him years ago, she knew she was safe with him. She felt she could trust him. She knew she could trust him. She believed in him.

"About what we said before..." she started. He turned to her after hearing her voice. "About my parents..."

"You don't have to tell me about it if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No. I want to talk about it... with you." Hearing that, Shouyou went silent and let Hinowa talk.

"I... don't really remember my parents. I never really had a family." Shouyou raised his eyebrow at this in confusion, but did not interrupt. "I was left by my parents in a foster home when I was two years old." He widened his eyes at this. "There, I met Tsukuyo, a little girl with such a passionate personality. We became really close. We may be not sisters by blood. But we are sisters by heart." She paused for a while, and Shouyou kept silent. He didn't tell that he himself and his children were also not blood-related, but they were still family. "It was nice living in the foster home, surrounded by friends with the same conditions and taken care of by kind caretakers. Everything was good. But when Tsukuyo was five, a man came to the foster home and said he wanted to adopt her. His name is Jiraia Hoshina-"

"Jiraia?" Shouyou suddenly interrupted, sitting straight in his seat.

Hinowa blinked. "Yes?"

Shouyou looked surprised for a split second. Then he leaned his back on the back rest again and composed himself. "No, it's nothing. Please keep going."

Hinowa looked a bit worried, but as he requested, she continued. "Well, Jiraia-san wanted to adopt Tsukuyo. But because Tsukuyo was very attached to me, she said she didn't want to be adopted unless he adopted me as well. And that's how the both of us ended up in Hoshina family." Hinowa smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, Jiraia-san didn't really... treat us right. He had his kind moments, but there were also moments when he seemed to be... evil." Shouyou frowned at this. "He could be very kind and sweet to us one moment, and then he became very abusive the next moment. It was Tsukuyo who became the target of most of his abuses. It seemed that she reminded him of his late younger sister." She paused again and he waited patiently. "But it didn't last long. A year after we were adopted, our house was caught on a fire. I was out of the house back then, shopping for food. Tsukuyo and Jiraia-san were in the house. When I arrived at home, it was already burnt down to the ground. Jiraia-san was dead, his corpse was found under the rubbles. But the fire fighters found Tsukuyo alive in the front yard. She was unconscious but alive, with wounds on her left cheek and left forehead. That was how she got the scars on her face." Hinowa bit her lip and closed her eyes, remembering her sister's condition. She remembered feeling so guilty for leaving her sister in the house when it was burnt. If only she had taken the little girl with her. Shouyou carefully put his hand on hers, and the warmth it gave calmed her down a little.

"I am sorry to hear that" he said, voice low and soft.

"Thank you." She squeezed his hand a little. She still looked troubled though.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked her.

Hinowa debated in her mind whether to tell him or not. But she had told him this much, might as well go further. "There are still some things that are still a mystery to us, even now. Other than the wounds on her face, Tsukuyo didn't get burnt at all. She said Jiraia-san was the one who inflicted those wounds on her. She also told me that Jiraia was killed by someone before he died. She said she saw it herself during the fire. But she couldn't see the face of the killer. It's possible that he or she was also the one that started the fire. And she said she remembered that she fainted inside the house. But the fire fighters found her in the front yard. If that was true, then I couldn't think of anything else other than the possibility that Jiraia-san's killer was the one who moved her there. I still didn't know why he or she saved Tsukuyo instead of leaving her there to die, but I was grateful I guess."

Hinowa could feel Shouyou tensed, the muscles of his hand tightened under her hand. "I see... But the most important thing is you two are alive" he said finally.

She smiled at him, her face brightened a little. "Yes, you are right." Hinowa closed her eyes and squeezed the hand that was still connected to hers. "Thank you for listening to me, Shouyou-san. I feel better already."

Shouyou looked ahead at the dance floor, his eyes vacant. He gazed at Gintoki, dancing with Tsukuyo, the couple looked so happy together. After a while, he finally squeezed her hand back. "Yes. I'm glad."

 **There it is, chapter 8. Please read and review!**


	9. Tattoo

Tsukuyo woke up from her slumber the next morning. She sat up on her futon and yawned.

"Ah, you're awake." She looked to the source of voice and saw Hinowa sitting by the vanity table in the room, already dressed.

"What time is it, Nee-san?"

"It's 7 in the morning. We still have an hour and a half to prepare." After going home from Sakamoto family ranch last night, the group gathered in the main room before going to bed, to decide where they would go to the next day. They decided that they're going to the nearby lake this time. The group would go around 8.30 since it wasn't too far.

"I see. How long have you been up?"

"Not that long. Maybe around ten minutes." Tsukuyo looked to her left and saw Seita, still snoring in his futon.

"Tsukuyo" Hinowa called her nervously.

"Yes?"

She fidgeted a little. "I hope you don't mind about this, but... I've told Shouyou-san about our origin."

"Origin?"

"That we came from forster home, that we were not really sisters." Tsukuyo nodded.

"I see. It's okay. He had already knew about... that thing anyway, so I guess it's alright to tell him about that. I've told Gintoki about it too." Tsukuyo had never told her sister that she had told Gintoki about them both being from foster home.

Hinowa looked surprised. "You did?"

"Yes."

"How did he react?"

She remembered how Gintoki had looked mildly surprised when she told him that she came from foster home. She supposed it's because he himself was also an adopted child. But what caught her attention was the tension on Gintoki's face and body when she had mentioned Jiraia, the man whom she had conflicted feelings for, and the person who gave her these scars. She respected and was grateful to him for adopting her and her sister, but she hated and feared him as well for his abuses. Even now, she didn't know what she actually thought of her adoptive father.

"Gintoki looked mildly surprised. Though I think it's because he was also adopted."

Hinowa widened her eyes. "Gintoki-kun was adopted? By Shouyou-san?"

Tsukuyo nodded. "He and all of his siblings are adopted. None of them are related by blood. Shouyou-san told me about it when I visited back then. When I asked Gintoki about it, he said that it's true."

Hinowa looked down, still in shock. So Shouyou's family was also adoptive family, just like theirs!

Seita groaned in his futon and wriggled a little, a sign that he was about to wake up. The two sisters looked at him. "Let's talk about this later" Tsukuyo said to her.

Hinowa nodded, not wanting to talk about such a sensitive topic in front of her son.

* * *

At 8.30, everyone was ready to go. The men were putting the things they're going to need inside the van. Other than swimming, they planned to have picnic there. Tsukuyo was putting some stuffs into her bag when Nobume came and leaned to her. "Did you bring the swimsuit we bought back then, Tsukuyo-san?" she whispered.

Tsukuyo blushed a little. She felt nervous to show herself in it in front of Gintoki. "Yes."

Nobume grinned. "Don't worry. He's going to like it." Tsukuyo blushed even redder.

"Ah! I forgot to bring my bag!" Seita said. He turned to run back inside the house when Hinowa called him.

"Wait Seita! Can you bring my purse as well?"

"I don't know where it is!"

"Let's go back together then." Hinowa started to walk with her crutches toward their room together with her son.

"Hinowa-san, do you need help?" Oboro asked her.

"No, it's alright. Thank you. Seita is with me." They went into their room. Seita grabbed his bag and Hinowa took her purse from inside the cupboard. They were going back when Hinowa caught something gleaming in her peripheral vision. She stopped and looked at the room at the far end of the house, the shoji door was opened for a few centimeters.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Seita, you go ahead. Mom needs to go back to take something."

"Are you okay by yourself?

"Of course. Don't worry."

"Okay then."

Seita ran back to the others. After he was gone, Hinowa turned to the room. She was sure the gleaming was coming from inside it. Curious, she walked toward the room, opened the door and came inside. The room was filled with boxes. On one corner she saw a burnt wooden board, with something written on it. She came closer to read the kanji. Eventhough the wood was burnt, the words were still clear.

 _Shouka Sonjuku._

It seems to be the nameplate of the old school. She remembered Shouyou mentioned that the building was damaged once. Could it be it was burnt?

She looked around to search for the thing that was gleaming in the room. She looked at the box which was placed at the top of the pile. It was opened a little, which might be the source of the gleaming thing. She struggled to reach the top of the pile and looked inside. Her eyes widened in shock.

Lying inside the box, peeking out from the clothe that covered it, was Katana. No, those were Katanas. There were many of them. She touched the blade to make sure it was real and the hardness of the metal proved it.

 _Why are there real swords here?_

* * *

The group arrived at the lake around 9. The place really wasn't far from the house. Tsukuyo watched the place. It was surrounded by large trees; the water was glimmering as the sun shined on it. The lake wasn't too deep and the water was very clear, so clear that she could see the rocks, the plants and the fishes at the bottom of the lake.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Gintoki said as he too, stared at the scenery.

"Yeah, it is."

"We're going to swim!" Seita exclaimed excitedly. Everybody laughed. The five-year-old's enthusiasm caused everyone to feel excited as well.

"Firstly, we have to prepare the place" Oboro said. They chose a perfect place near the lake where they could view the whole place and put the picnic blanket on the grassy ground. They unloaded their bags from the van and went to change into their swimsuits. There was a small cabin nearby and they decided that the males would change in there while the females changed inside the van.

Tsukuyo looked at the blue swimsuit that Nobume had bought for her. She felt nervous. It was the first time she actually going to swim with men around. She had never gone to public swimming pool and the swimming class in school divided the male students and female students. Her boyfriend was going to be there too.

"What's wrong?" Nobume asked.

"I'm just a bit nervous. This is the first time I wear swimsuit in front of guys."

"You never went to public swimming pool?"

Tsukuyo shook her head. "No."

Nobume smiled. "Don't worry. You look good in that. And this can be a new experience, right?"

Tsukuyo smiled a little. "Yeah." She started to unbutton her blouse. Nobume too, took off her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. As Tsukuyo glanced at her, something caught her eyes. At the beck of Nobume's neck was a red tattooo. She had never seen that design before. The shape resembled a bird.

Nobume pulled the shirt over her shoulder, already wearing the bikini top underneath. She startled a little when Tsukuyo pushed away her hair and put a hand on the back of her neck.

"You have a tattooo" Tsukuyo said, stating the obvious.

"Uh... yes" Nobume replied nervously. "Our school has no regulation against tattoo, right?"

"Yes." Tsukuyo nodded. She didn't know why but she was intrigued by the mark.

"A-anyway, let's change" Nobume said, pulling her head away from Tsukuyo's touch. They changed into their swimsuits and went out of the van. The guys had already there at the edge of the lake, wearing trunks.

"Ah, you've done! Then let me come in" Kotarou said after Tsukuyo and Nobume walked out of the van.

"What's wrong Kota-nii?"

"I want to get Elizabeth out of there." Ah, the penguin. Tsukuyo remembered that Kotarou insisted to bring Elizabeth here. He put the penguin inside the cooling box. One that didn't contain the drinks of course.

As Kotarou went inside the van to get Elizabeth, Tsukuyo watched what the others were doing. Shinsuke was pumping Seita's swimming tire for him. Hinowa was sitting on the picnic blanket, helping Oboro arrange their belongings on it. Nobume had ran to the lake and jumped into the water. Gintoki and Shouyou were nowhere to be seen. As she walked closer to the lake, she found her boyfriend, sitting at the edge of a small dock feet dangling over the water. She hesitated for a while before walking over to him. She had never seen Gintoki shirtless, and now that she saw him half-naked, she couldn't help but notice how muscular he really was. His body was littered with many scars but she supposed it was to be expected with how many time he got into a fight. What she didn't expect were the many cuts on his body. They looked like stabbing scars though she couldn't guess how he got those. She stared at his toned body, before flushing and shook her head to get rid of the perverted thoughts that suddenly came into her mind.

Gintoki was gazing at the scenery of the lake, seeming not to realize that Tsukuyo was standing behind him. "G-Gintoki?"

Snapped out of his reverie, he turned around to face his girlfriend. "Hmm?"

His eyes widened and he gaped a little. Tsukuyo looked down, her face as red as tomato. "Um... H-how do I look?"

Gintoki blinked and smiled in approval. "It looks good on you." Tsukuyo couldn't see his appreciative smile as she was too busy staring at her feet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. From her peripheral vision, she saw him stand up and walk to her. He leaned down until his lips were near her ear. He noticed that even her ears were red and grinned. "You look so good that I feel like I want to eat you and lick your body."

Tsukuyo jumped back, her face turned even redder than before, if that was possible. She looked at Gintoki, stunned, while he grinned.

"Y-you pervert!"

"Aww, don't act as if you don't like my perverted side" he said, walking closer to her again, putting his arms around her waist.

She lightly trying to push him away, though she knew it was futile. She looked down and buried her head on his strong chest instead, hiding her reddened cheeks. She blinked when she saw something. There on his left chest, was a silver tattoo with the same design as Nobume's. She put her palm on the tattoo, tracing her fingers around the marked skin. She could feel Gintoki's body tensed.

"This tattoo..."

"Yes?"

"I saw the same design on Nobume."

Gintoki froze. "You did?"

"Yes. Though it's red instead of silver like yours. Did you get it together?"

"Yeah... Sort of."

"The design is interesting. It looks like a bird."

"Hmm." Gintoki let go of her and walked back toward the edge of the dock. He sat down, facing away from her. Tsukuyo felt like she had done something wrong, but she didn't know what. Instead of asking him if everything was alright, she walked toward him and sat beside him.

"I don't see your father. Where is he?"

"He's at the back, on the phone with Matsudaira-san."

Tsukuyo's eyes almost bulged. "Isn't that the Commissioner of National Police Agency?"

"Yeah."

"What is you father talking about with him? Did something happen?"

Gintoki shrugged. "Nothing really. They're old friends and he is just talking to him like friends talking about their holidays."

"Oh... I see..." She knew that Yoshida family was famous and elite, with a lot of other 'elite' friends as well. One of them was Sasaki family, who owned a prestigious military school called Mimawarigumi, similar to the name of historical police in Edo period. The school was owned by Sasaki Isaburo, the head of Sasaki family, who had cooperation with Gintama School. Their family and friends were full of rich and famous people. Even Soyo, Kagura's best friend was really the younger sister of the Prime Minister, Tokugawa Shigeshige. Gintoki sure lived in a different world from hers.

She looked around to see the others. Seita was swimming around with his swimming tire, Nobume swimming by his side. Kotarou was playing with Elizabeth. Oboro was swimming a little far from them and Shinsuke sat on the edge of the lake. Now that she observed the siblings more closely, she noticed Gintoki and Nobume were not the only ones with the tattoo. There were tattoos with the same design on Kotarou, Shinsuke and Oboro. Oboro's tattoo was blue and embedded on his upper back. Shinsuke's was on his left arm and it's purple. Kotarou's green tattoo was placed on his right arm. The colors were all different, but the design was the same. It looked like some kind of bird symbol.

Tsukuyo blinked. "The others have it too."

"What?"

"The tattoo. Oboro-san, Kotarou-kun and Shinsuke-kun have it too."

"Yeah."

"Did all of you get it together?"

"Yeah."

Tsukuyo smiled a little. "It looks cool."

Gintoki's smile looked somewhat strained as he replied "Yeah... it is..."


	10. Attraction

Nobume was sitting at the edge of the lake with Shinsuke. Oboro, Kotarou and Elizabeth accompanied Seita in swimming. No one knew where Gintoki and Tsukuyo had gone to. She guessed that they were having some loving time somewhere. She watched as Seita played with Elizabeth and Kotarou. When the penguin was splashing too hard and the water rained on Oboro, he reprimanded them. She grinned a little. She then turned to the guy beside her, who didn't utter a single word ever since she came to sit next to him.

"You're not swimming, Shin-nii?"

"No. I'm fine being here."

"Ah, if I remember you can't swim."

"Who said I can't swim? I'm just not really good at it."

"That means you can't."

"I can swim just fine if necessary. Just not as good as you or Oboro for example."

"So swim then. Don't just sit here without doing anything. You won't get better if you don't start to swim" she said as she bumped her body to his. He looked away from her and moved his body from hers. He looked... uncomfortable. She wondered why.

"Do you really... have to dress that way?"

Nobume looked at her swimsuit. "Well, yeah. I mean i have to if I'm going to swim."

"Can you pick a swimsuit that is more modest?"

"You don't comment on Tsukuyo-san's swimsuit."

"Her swimsuit is more modest than yours and doesn't show too much skin."

"What is your problem exactly? Why are you saying this?"

"I'm saying this as your brother. I don't like men looking at you like..."

"Like what?"

"You know..."

"Like they want to *** me?"

"Good grief! Don't say it like that!"

"What?! Isn't that what you're going to say?!"

"Oi!" They stopped their argument and turned to Gintoki, who walked toward them with Tsukuyo. "What's wrong with you guys? What're you fighting about?"

Nobume pointed her thumb at Shinsuke. "He criticizes me for wearing a swimsuit."

Gintoki raised an eyebrow. Tsukuyo looked confused as well. "What's wrong with that?" the silver-haired guy asked.

"It's too revealing!"

"So what?! You, our family members and Seita-kun are the only males here!"

"But what if other men..."

"Non sense." Nobume shook her head. "Stop being ridiculous. If someone does look at me that way, I'll beat him to a pulp."

"You know Shinsuke? She's right" Gintoki said. He then put a hand on his sister's head, ruffling her hair roughly. "You think too highly of our sister. Who would want to ogle this sadistic girl? Once they see how she is when she has weapons in her hand, they will surely lose any interest in her."

Nobume pouted and slapped Gintoki's hand away from her head, causing her brother to laugh. "I don't want to hear that from a sadistic delinquent that gets into fights with local gangs every week."

"Heh, but many girls like that sadistic side of me" Gintoki said, smirking.

Shinsuke still frowned and looked away. Tsukuyo observed him silently. He seemed to be uncomfortable. More than other men, it seemed to be him who was fidgety looking at Nobume. But why?

"Anyway, we want to go buy some snack. There's a mini market not far from here. You want to come?" Gintoki asked.

"I'll pass. I don't want to eat any food before lunch" Shinsuke said.

Nobume unsurprisingly got up. "I want to buy donuts."

Tsukuyo sweatdropped. "I don't think they have donuts in mini market. But they do sell some bread."

"I'll ask the others what they want" Gintoki said as he went to where Kotarou, Seita and Oboro were.

"Shin-nii, you have some money?" Nobume asked.

"You don't bring your wallet?"

"No. I left them in the house."

Shinsuke sighed. "Go get my wallet in my jeans' back pocket. Now that I mention it, please take our clothes back while you're at it. We left them in the cabin and forget to bring them out."

"Alright." Nobume then went toward the cabin where the boys had changed a while ago.

Shinsuke watched her go, his eyes lingering on her much longer than necessary. When she was out of sight, he finally looked away. He turned his head and saw Tsukuyo looking at him. "What?" he asked her defensively.

"You're staring at her."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were. You're totally staring."

"So what? I'm just looking after my sister." He looked away and to her surprise, flushing just a little bit. She frowned. Somehow, he didn't really act like a brother toward his sister.

* * *

Nobume was walking into the cabin and searched for Shinsuke's jeans among the pile of male clothes. She pulled out his wallet and gathered the clothes into one bundle. She was about to get up when the door of the cabin was opened.

"Oh, we're sorry. We thought no one's here. The door was unlocked" a guy with shining blonde hair said. He was standing in the door way with two other guys behind him, one with short brown hair and brown skin and the other with short red hair and glasses. Nobume looked at them and realized they might want to use the cabin to change as well.

"That's fine. I'm just here to get my brothers' clothes. They changed here and didn't bring back their clothes" she said as she picked up the bundle of clothes.

She walked toward the door, intending to go when the blonde-haired guy put a hand on the door way. "Hey, now that I look closely, you're pretty cute."

Nobume raised her eyebrow, somehow knowing where this was going. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Can you put your hand away from the door? I want to go through."

"Hey, if you're alone, why don't you join us? We only have guys here. It's lonely without any girl" the guy with brown skin said with a playful smirk.

"No thanks. I told you before. I'm here with my family." She bowed down and went through under his hand and was about to get away when the two others blocked her way. "Excuse me. My brother is waiting for me. He'll be really angry if I don't come back with his wallet."

"Just tell you brother that you're going out with your friends" the one with glasses said.

"You're not my friends."

"Ouch! That hurts" the brown guy said, putting his arm on his head dramatically.

The glasses-wearing one smirked at her. "Feisty. I like that."

"Look, if you don't notice, I'm 15, still in middle school. And if you hit on middle schooler, that means you're a lolicon, mister."

The blonde-haired guy looked her up and down with a smirk. "Your body doesn't look like it belongs to a fifteen-year-old."

"Now you're being creepy mister." She easily went through the other two guys. "Now excuse me, I need to go."

The brown guy grabbed her hand. "Hold on! Are you just going to ignore us?!"

Nobume's eyes darkened. That's it. This was her limit. They're going to have what they deserve, no matter what. She was about to give the guy a roundhouse kick when he suddenly let go of her hand. Surprised, she turned around to find Shinsuke there, glaring at the three men and gripping the brown guy's wrist in a death grip, enough to even break his bone. The three men and Nobume were shocked to see him.

Nobume looked at him. Shinsuke's eyes was dark, angry, and... murderous. If looks could kill, then the three would have died already.

"Who are you?! Are you her brother?!"

"As matter of fact, I am." His glare intensified, making them jumped back a bit, except the brown guy, whose wrist was still traped in Shinsuke's grip. "I warn you not to touch or even look at my sister ever again. Don't you dare bother her, me, or any of our family. If you dare do it again..." He twisted the wrist in his hand, making the guy cried out in pain. He let go of him, smiling at them menacingly, which sent chill down their spine. "You'll get what you deserve."

Nobume stared at him, stunned a little. A part of her was annoyed that he stepped out to help her, without letting her defend for herself. The other part was grateful to have him here. He turned and walked toward her. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her away from there. Nobume's eyes widened at his action. She felt her heart beat faster at the contact. She started to feel weird as there was a flutter in her stomach and she suddenly felt a bit hot. Why did she suddenly feel that way? They were siblings. They were used to touch each other. Hell, they even took a bath together when they were young, though they stopped doing that when she was 9 and he was 11.

This was her brother. The boy she had spent time with most of her life, just like with the others. Sure, they weren't related by blood, but they were still siblings nonetheless.

Nobume turned to look at Shinsuke, whose arm still rested on her bare shoulders, and found him scowling at her. "See what I told you just now? I knew that something like this would happen."

"I can take care of myself just fine without you interfering. Why didn't you let me beat them?"

"I'm sparing their lives. I know what will happen if I let you fight them. You tend to have no mercy and enjoy in torturing you victims. The outcome wouldn't be pretty."

She snorted. "Obviously." He let go of her shoulders, which left her suddenly feeling cold. She blinked in confusion at what she was feeling.

He handed her his hoodie. "Here. Put this on. I don't want the same thing to happen again. At least cover you upper body."

She blinked and took his hoodie. "Thanks" she said as she put on the sweatshirt.

"Hmm" he replied curtly. Neither of them talked anymore, looking away from each other. She didn't know that walking with your sibling could be this awkward.

* * *

Hinowa watched the others playing at the lake from her perch on the picnic blanket. The place where she sat was a bit far from where they were, but she could still see them nonetheless. Seita was playing with Kotarou and Elizabeth. He didn't use his swimming tire and was holding on Oboro's hand while his feet waggled on the water. Apparently, they were teaching him how to swim. She didn't see Gintoki, Tsukuyo, Shinsuke and Nobume. Did they go somewhere else?

The woman sighed. Her mind thought back to what she had found in the Yoshida family villa. Now that she thought further, she shouldn't be surprised. The house was once used as a martial arts school so it was to be expected that they have some weapons to aid in the training. Though she was surprised that they actually used real swords. Other than katanas, she also found some other weapons like spears, naginatas, bows and arrows, canes, rapiers, kunais, shurikens, even tessen. She needed to think positively. They might be using them for martial arts training. Yes, that must be it. But then again, what Shouyou did when they met those years ago...

Hinowa suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Shouyou since they got here. Where did the man go? She heard the sound of footsteps from behind her and turned around in panic. But when she saw the man who she had just been thinking, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Shouyou-san, where have you been?"

"Sorry. I was talking with a friend on the phone."

Shouyou walked toward her and sat down on the picnic blanket. "I called Gengai-san just now and he said that your wheel chair will be ready tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"Where are the kids?"

"They're playing over there" she said, pointing at the dock.

He smiled as he watched them. "They seemed to be having fun. But where are Gintoki, Tsukuyo, Shinsuke and Nobume?"

"I don't know. I didn't see them since 15 minutes ago."

"They might be going to the mini market."

Shouyou got up and went to the edge of the water. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, intending to swim. When she saw his body, she couldn't help but notice how toned his body was. On the outside, he seemed to be a gentle and soft salary man, who couldn't even hurt a fly and never really worked hard in his whole life. But with how great his physical body looked like, she knew it wasn't true. Aside from the muscle mass, she noticed the scars littering his body. Scars were everywhere and in many shapes and forms too, from burns to cuts. She remembered the time she met that man those years ago. It was very brief but she got the gist of what kind of thing he was doing before finding a school. And what she saw in front of her proved her guess. Her eyes caught the black tattoo on the right side of his abdomen. The one that she had seen years ago. It was still there. The black-colored bird-like symbol contrasted nicely with his pale skin.

He dove into the water and swam a little further away. He popped out of the water, pulling his soaked hair to the back of his head. She found him, with his bangs slicked back, attractive. It's not that he wasn't attractive with his bangs in the front... or when his hair tied up in low ponytail... or in high ponytail...

It's not like she found him attractive.

It's not like she was staring at him.

Not that she noticed the flex of muscles on his biceps and abdomen-

Oh God, she was staring, wasn't she?!

Hinowa put her hands on her cheeks and could feel how hot she was. She closed her eyes and bit her lip in embarrassment. It happened again.

After swimming for a few minutes, Shouyou walked out of the water and sat on the edge of the lake. Gazing at the scenery in front of him, he commented "It's a nice view, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is" Hinowa replied.

"I'm sorry for making you stay here alone and watch over our things."

"It's okay. With my condition, I couldn't swim even if I want to. I'm fine just sitting here and watching you" she said. But she couldn't help looking at her son and the others with a little envy.

Her longing gaze didn't go unnoticed by Shouyou. "Have you ever gone swimming Hinowa-san?"

"Only once. Back when I was young and still living in the foster home. After that, I didn't seem to get the chance to swim. Oh, right! I did swim in school. But I wasn't really good at sport so I always ended up drowning" she said, giggling a little at the last part.

Shouyou smiled. "You weren't good in sports?"

"No... Actually I always got 30 for physical education." She laughed when he was gaping a little in shock. "But well, it doesn't matter. With my current condition, it's impossible for me to do sports anyway. Though I do regret not learning how to swim when I was young. Eventhough I couldn't swim and could only use my swimming board, I enjoyed it. Playing in the water is enough for me" she said, looking at the water wistfully.

Shouyou was quiet for a moment after hearing her story. He then smiled and said "Would you like to try it now?"

"What?"

"Swimming."

"But I-"

"You can hold on to me. We're just going to swim around here. Not too far." He then looked at her dress. "But you don't bring any swimsuit. So maybe some other tim-"

"Oh, I bring a change of clothes here... just... in case..."

Shouyou raised his eyebrows. "Did you really plan to swim, Hinowa-san? Because it's impossible for you to unintentionally bring a change of clothes if you didn't plan to swim."

Hinowa fidgeted a little, avoiding his eyes. "I just wanted to soak my feet a little bit. As I said, I just wanted to play around in the water. I know that I can't swim, but I really want to at least feel the water. But I know that Tsukuyo and Seita won't allow it. They worry for me too much. That's why I planned to wait until they were gone to soak. I didn't mean any harm, I was just-"

"I know." He smiled at her. "I know. There are times when you just want to be free from the responsibility of being an adult and act like a child. I understand how you feel Hinowa-san." He then got up and walked to her. "If you want to soak or even swim, I'll be there for you. You just need to hold on to me. I'll make sure you are safe."

Hinowa smiled gratefully at him and nodded. "Thank you very much Shouyou-san."

Shouyou kneeled in front of Hinowa and put one hand under her back, and the other under her knees. He then lifted her in his arms, as easily as one picked a cotton. She put her arms around his neck for balance and shivered pleasantly as her hands finally made contact with his skin. Aside from the scarred areas, his skin was smooth.

Shouyou carried Hinowa toward the lake and carefully got down into the water and her hold on him tightened a little. He got down until they both were chest deep into the water. Hinowa missed this sensation. She hadn't been able to swim before when her legs were still moving, but she had always enjoyed swimming. Right now, she couldn't move her legs, but feeling the cold, fresh water of the lake around her body made her feel excited.

Shouyou let go of her knees and put both of his arms around her waist. He started to swim backstroke on his back, his arms around her waist.

"Just relax, Hinowa-san. Feel the water around your legs." And she did. While she couldn't move her ankles, she forced her feet to move up and down in the water. And they moved. She felt elated for some reason.

"They move!" she said enthusiastically, almost childishly.

Shouyou smiled. "Good then."

He swam around like that for a moment, bringing her on top of him. They never strayed too far from the shore. After feeling satisfied, they swam back to the edge. Shouyou put his arms back under her knees and under her back. He carried her onto the shore, their whole bodies soaked through.

"Your dress is soaked" he said, referring to Hinowa's white sundress.

"It's okay. I told you, I have a change of clothes" she replied.

They looked at each other and for the first time, noticed how close they were to each other. Just like those years ago, they found themselves lost in each other's eyes. His clear gray eyes looked into her sky blue ones, to her nose, her cheeks, and then to her lips. Her pink, glossy lips. Her hands roamed his upper body, tracing the scars and the hard muscles on his chest, arms, and abdomen. Her hand lingered on his tattoo. She could feel his muscles flexed beneath her fingers. His arms pressed her soft, pale body against his hard, strong one. The water made her wet clothes clung to her body like second skin, making the shape of her curves and breasts more noticeable. One of his hands treaded her lustrous black hair around his fingers. The other hand felt the exposed skin of her back behind her long hair. Her sundress exposed the back area, but it was hidden by her hair. She shivered as his calloused fingers caressed her back. The memories of that time came into their minds, manipulating their body movements. She put her hands on his cheeks, staring at his face. Ever so slowly, their faces seemed to get closer, and closer...

Surprisingly, it was he who stopped. He pulled her body away from his and put her down on the ground. She felt disappointed, yet, after he moved away from her, she felt like she had just been woken up from a dream.

"You should change, if you don't want Tsukuyo-san and Seita-kun know you were swimming."

"Oh... um... right..."

He lifted her again and brought her into the van, where she changed her wet clothes into dry ones in the bathroom.

After he went out of the van, he let out a long sigh. Shouyou leaned his body on the car, just standing there, thinking. He didn't know how long he stayed that way. His mind flied back to his little moment with Hinowa just now. That was close. Really close. He feared that the more time they spent together, the more they couldn't resist the desire they still had for each other from those years ago. If that happened, then...

"Dad! We bought us some snacks!" Gintoki said as the rest of the group walked back toward him, bringing plastic bags containing food from the mini market.

"It's almost time for lunch, though" Oboro commented.

"Let's eat!" Nobume exclaimed.

"Where's Mom?" Seita asked as he saw no one on the picnic blanket.

"Oh, she's inside. Going to the restroom."

"I see. Then let's eat everyone" Kotarou said. They started to gather on the picnic blanket, pulling out the food they prepared. A few minute later, Hinowa walked out of the van with her crutches, clothes and body dry. Other than changing her clothes and dried her body, she also took time drying her hair as well. Her clothes looked exactly like the one she had worn just now, a simple white sundress with laces at the edge of the sleeves and the edge of the skirt. It seemed that she really had prepared for it not to make her son and sister suspicious. She didn't look like she had just swum.

The group started eating. Nothing seemed to be wrong other than the tension among the adults. No one knew how the tension had come. They just talked with each other like nothing was wrong.


	11. Sins (Part 1)

**For C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, thank you for reviewing my story every chapter ^.^ It seems that you have already knew what pairings I intended for this story. I want to try something new, the things that other people rarely think work.**

 **For Jentex, thank you again for your corrections. To answer your question, PDA stands for "Public Display of Affection".**

 **For all who read this story, please continue reading and leave a review if you can, whether it's a small comment, or even criticism regarding grammars. This chapter and the next take place in the** **past.**

 **Warning for some implicit sex scene and some talk about sex.**

 **Here it goes.**

 _-~~**10 Years Ago**~~-_

 _She looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a glittering blue, maxi dress, a black choker with a diamond at the middle, a gold bracelet, and_ _a pair of_ _white high heels. The color of the dress complemented her eyes. Miyako offered to do her makeup. She was beautiful. She didn't mean to be arrogant, but she was indeed beautiful. Miyako thought so. The other girls thought so. And so did her customers and all the people that came to the club._

 _"You're really beautiful" Miyako said, smiling at her._

 _"Thank you. But this dress is a bit too extravagant for me. You and everyone didn't even wear maxi dress" she said, indicating the red tube dress that Miyako was wearing. She too, was beautiful with short neck-length, light brown hair._

 _Miyako smiled at her. "Lady Kamekichi gave it to you. That's because you're going to serve a special guest."_

 _She raised a delicate eyebrow. "A special guest?"_

 _"Some elite people are here to discuss business with Housen-sama. Housen-sama is away for a moment, so Lady Kamekichi told us to give our best hospitality in his stead." Oh... So Housen's business acquaintances were here._

 _She nodded and got up from her seat. Together with Miyako, she went back into the main room. The lava lamps on the tables and the disco lamp in the middle of the room were the only sources of light in the dark room. Loud music resounded. Men from the ages of 20 to 50 were sitting at the tables in the room, or danced with some of the girls._

 _As she entered the room, the men's eyes turned to look at her. She was the favorite. The most beautiful girl in the establishment. She was a jewel. Many of the men were willing to pay lots of many just to spend time with her. But Housen gave a high price for her service, so not many of them were able to touch her. She did serve some of them sometime_ _s_ _, with Housen giving her away reluctantly. She knew that the reason for his reluctance was because he himself was attracted to her. As a pimp, he had all the women in all of the clubs he owned at his disposal. And yet, after she came to work here, Housen did not ask for different girls every night anymore. He simply dragged her to bed with him. Lady Kamekichi noticed it. The other women noticed it. They knew that Housen had found a favorite._

 _She owed Housen for letting her to work here, and giving her and her sister a place to stay. Even if it was in a night club that doubled as a brothel, they at least had a home. She was only 17 years old and had no experience in work. They had lost everything they had in that fire, and they still had to go to school. They couldn't go back to the orphanage, and they didn't want to become wards of the state. She could only afford to get this kind of job, for them to continue to live. Lady Kamekichi was not really fond of them, but Housen's power had protected them. As long as she gave herself to be slept with by him. Outside, she was just like any other women for hire in a night club. In private, she was his personal concubine. Nevertheless, she had to endure it, to ensure her sister's live and education. She herself, was still studying in high school._

 _Tonight though, she had to serve a person other than Housen. Lady Kamekichi, the manager ordered her to do it. It seemed that this was a really important guest so they had to serve the best girls, including her and Miyako. They always saved her for the best customer. If Housen was here, he wouldn't agree to this._

 _She, Miyako and five other women gathered in front of Lady Kamekichi who was standing in front of the VIP room meant for special guests. She looked around at the girls who were called by the Lady. Among the seven women present, she was the youngest and the most extravagant. While she was wearing maxi dress, the others were wearing short tube dress in different colors. It was obvious that she was about to be given to client with higher rank than theirs._

 _"You girls, go entertain our guest. One woman for one man." The Lady then turned to her. "You will entertain their leader. The one sitting in the middle, with black trench coat and black tie." She nodded in return. "I expect you all to give them the best hospitality. Housen-sama is not here right now, but he's on his way here. He only ordered us to give them our best treatment. Is that clear?"_

 _"Yes, Mam" they all replied._

 _"Good. Now come inside."_

 _The women entered the room. There were seven men there, all wearing black. Just taking one look at them and you'd know that they're dangerous. It wasn't surprising as Housen, the owner of this club, as well as other night clubs in the city, was a member of Yato Clan, which was really a group of Chinese Mafia, who dealt with dirty business like drugs, prostitution, robbery, human-trafficking, piracy, and even assassination. The other girls sauntered to them. She looked around for the leader, the one she was supposed to 'entertain'. She found that six of the men were sitting around a single man, as if guarding him, and unlike the others who didn't wear ties, this man wore a black tie around his neck. She knew right away that he was the one meant for her._

 _The other girls started pulling the men away and served them, leaving the leader, who just now was surrounded by his underlings, come into view. She couldn't help but gasped a little. The man had youthful, handsome face, with long, feminine hair. She slowly walked toward him, who barely seemed to pay attention to his surroundings._

 _She sat next to him and asked softly "Would you like for me to pour your drink for you, Sir?"_

 _The man turned to her, as if noticing her presence for the first time. "No, thank you" he said, smiling. There was something about his smile that seemed odd. It wasn't a smile she often f_ _ou_ _nd in a place like this. She often saw men smiling lecherously, mischievously, drunkenly, or even mockingly. Being a prostitute, these kinds of expression were what she usually encountered. But there was something about him that was different than the other men she had slept with. Or any other men she had met. He didn't smile at her like a man smiled at a prostitute._

 _He looked ahead at the disco lamp that was hanged on the ceiling, his eyes void of emotion. She patiently waited for him to talk or move. She still had to give him the best hospitality._

 _His eyes made her feel unsettled. Many clients came to seek comfort from prostitutes due to great sadness or pain in their lives. She was used to see such deep sadness or pain in the eyes of her clients. But him... His eyes... they were empty, vacant. The smile was gone from his face, and instead he seemed to look... tired._

 _He looked so tired and exhausted and suddenly, he seemed to be much older than how he looked. As if he had seen too much in life and he was tired of it all. More than sadness or pain, the emptiness in his expression scared her even more. For some reason, she couldn't bear to see him like this._

 _"Is something wrong?" she asked him carefully. He smiled a little without looking at her and shook his head. "Did our service not satisfy you?"_

 _"No. It's not your fault. I just don't really want to be here." He sighed. "But I have to. This is an important negotiation."_

 _"Do you have something that troubles you?"_

 _"Well..."_

 _"If you are willing to share with me, I'm willing to listen to your problem" she offered. She really wanted to help him. The hollow look on his face made it seem like he was lost and need some guidance. It disturbed her._

 _He slowly turned to look at her. This girl, this prostitute seemed to be different. He had gone to many night clubs that sometimes doubled as brothels and many of the women quickly swarmed around him. They were always sultry, vulgar, and lustful. They were like snakes. They sweet talked their clients, with sugary compliments and pleasantries, voices intentionally made high-pitched to make them sound cute, or even low-pitched to make them sound sexy. They always cooed at him and tried to comfort him with fake concerns. In the end, all they really wanted was the money in his pocket._

 _But this girl was different. She seemed to be honest. Sincere. She seemed to be genuinely worried and concerned about him. Maybe that was what got him to finally talk. "I was just thinking of quitting my business."_

 _"Then why don't you?"_

 _He smiled again sadly. "It's not that easy. There are many people who would disagree. And they will try to stop me..._ in every way possible _." The thing he said in the last part sent chills down her spine. She knew the implication of it._

 _"You don't like what you are doing" she said matter-of-factly. He looked at her with pained eyes. "Are you tortured in doing it?"_

 _He smiled again, a hollow smile. "It's something that I have no choice in." He reached out for the bottle of tequila, but she got it first and held it out to him. Knowing what she meant, he held out his glass and she poured the drink for him. He took a slow gulp, his eyes staring at nothing. He looked at her once more. "How old are you, young lady? You can't be 20."_

 _She fidgeted a little in her seat. "I am 17."_

 _"Are you still attending school?"_

 _"Yes. High School."_

 _"Why did you choose to do this job?"_

 _She went silent after hearing his question. She thought of her sister. She then looked at him. Many people judged her just because she was a prostitute. They always gave him a mocking look full of disdain and disgust. Even some of her customers were giving her that kind of look. As if they_ _were_ _quietly chastising her for being a sex worker at such a young age. But the way he looked at her was different. It was not mockery or disdain, or disgust. If anything, she had to say... calm... There was calmness, a serenity about him that urged her to talk. It told her he would not judge her_ _so_ _easily, like other people. She found herself talking._

 _"Because like you, I have no choices. I have a younger sister at home. She was only 7. She still needs education, needs a place to live, needs food for life. I have no work experience before. I haven't even graduated from High School. We lost everything in a fire, including a parent. We don't have anything else. I tried to find work that will help me maintain our lives as well as our educations, but it's hard. Until Housen came and offered me to do this job."_

 _She became quiet and looked down, her hands balled into fists. She looked up to see his expression. There was no emotion on his face. It was still a calm look he gave her. He didn't say anything. Feeling encouraged to talk more, she continued. "If I didn't find work, we would end up as wards of the state. And we don't want that. I heard they don't exactly treat the children right, and there was a chance that both of us will be separated."_

 _He frowned at this, the first reaction that came from him. He looked down, as if remembering a bad memory. "Yes... I know how it feels... My sister and I also became wards of the state before."_

 _She widened her eyes. "Really?"_

 _He nodded. "And you're right. They didn't exactly... treat us right." For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. "Did your sister know your job?"_

 _"Yes. In fact, she is living here with me. We were given by Housen-sama a room in the basement."_

 _He widened his eyes and nodded. "I see." He then looked her in the eye. "Do you like your job?"_

 _She was startled a little by his question, but able to reply honestly and decisively "No."_

 _"Do you ever wish to get away?" There was something in his eyes. It was as if he was desperately looking for guidance for his own action. As if her answer would lead to his own decision._

 _"Always" she answered. "But it is not that easy." And it wasn't. Not only that she had nowhere to go, but she couldn't get away. For Housen, once you entered this profession, you could not quit. Any woman who wished to quit or run away, would face severe punishment, usually death. If it's only risking her own life, it's alright, but not when it came to her sister. She agreed to stay there on the condition that she and her sister would be given a place to live and her sister's education would be ensured. Housen agreed but on the condition that she would never leave him. Or else her sister would be dead. She was playing with fire but she was desperate back then. She didn't know what to do now._

 _"Why is it?" he asked._

 _"Because my sister's life is on the line. Housen said he would kill her if I ran away." He went quiet after hearing that. She looked down, smiling sadly. "If it's only me, then that's fine. But my life is no longer my own. My sister needs me. She is the only one I have left and I am the only one she has left. I almost lost her back then. I don't want to lose her now, or ever."_

 _Neither of them said anything for a long time. "What about you, Sir?" she asked him. "You said you wanted to quit what you are doing. Do you want to get away?"_

 _He smiled at her. "Even if I want to, just like your case, it's not that easy for me. Just like you, my life is no longer my own. I have things I have to protect. There are five actually." He smiled fondly and she knew that whatever or whoever he was talking about, was very precious to him. "And what or who is it you want to protect, Sir?"_

 _She looked at him, with the same calmness and serenity he had displayed earlier, and a little curiosity. "My children." She gasped._

 _"Oh, you have a child."_

 _"I have five actually" he said, chuckling. She widened her eyes. So this pretty-looking man actually had kids?_

 _"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Sir?"_

 _"I am 25" he answered. She blinked. He was still quite young. And yet, he already had five children and a great business. "Just like you, it's not easy for me to get away. If you have your sister's life at stake, then I have my children's lives at stake. If I do anything remotely stupid or crazy, I know they will have to shoulder the burden with me. And I don't want to let that happen." He looked at his glass solemnly, staring at his own reflection on the liquid there. "I don't want them to become like me."_

 _She looked at him sympathetically. She didn't know what he was doing but she could guess. The only people who came to this bar were those with the same line of work with Housen and the Yatos. This night club had always become the place for illegal transactions. That's why the women who had come to work here could never escape from this place anymore. She knew that whatever he did, he was living in the underworld, just like her._

 _She smiled at him, a bit sadly. "You and I, we both have our own burden to carry, things to protect. But we have to be strong." She hesitated for a while, before putting her hand on his. "Right now, we might not have the power to break away. But maybe someday..." She squeezed his hand. "You and I will be free."_

 _He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand back. "Yes." They looked at each other's eyes and there was a sense of peace. They didn't know why being with each other could make them feel that way._

 _"Do you need anything, Sir?"_

 _He shook his head. "No. May be you can stay here and give me some company instead? I just want someone to talk to."_

 _She smiled at him. "I would love it." And she did. Unlike her other customers, she actually liked his company. She wished to spend more time with him._

 _He could sense that she was sincere and honest in all her words. He then smiled at her, a genuine, friendly smile. She felt her whole body hot, especially her face. Her heart beat faster in her chest. She didn't know why. She had never felt this kind of feelings with other men before. She looked down, unable to look at him. Her eyes caught their still joined hands and started to get nervous. She could felt her palm sweating and hoped he didn't notice. A sincere smile from him could get such an effect from her. What if there were more..._

 _He saw her face flush red and chuckled good-naturedly. They started talking about a wide range of topic. Just small talks here and there. He found himself intrigued by the girl. Unlike most prostitutes he met, with poisons and sugars lacing their words and movements, she seemed... pure... A very absurd word for a sex worker, but he couldn't find any other word to describe her. Her actions didn't have ulterior motives. She genuinely liked his company. When she smiled, she did it from the heart, when she laughed, she did it from the heart. She acted modestly, unlike other women who shook and twisted their bodies around their customers. When she didn't like something, she said it outright instead of bending herself to please him. Every emotion she showed him was sincere and honest. And whenever he smiled at her and complimented her, she blushed and looked down like a normal school girl she was supposed to be. He found it cute._

 _She too, found that she really liked him. The way he treated her was different from the way Housen and other men treated her. He didn't treat her like an object like so many other men did to most prostitutes. He treated her like a gentleman to a lady. He didn't talk to her like one did to someone inferior. He talked to her on equal basis, like he was talking with a friend. He respected her. Despite knowing what she did for a living, he respected her. And she found it very comforting. He also never tried to touch her. Aside from the initial hand-holding, they never touched each other again. She should be glad because for once, there was a client that respected her enough not to touch her. But on the other hand, she felt disappointed somehow. She didn't know why._

 _"Ah, you have to try some of the food here! Let me order something for you!"_

 _"No, that's alright. I don't have an appetite right now... I have a feeling that tonight would not end well." She froze at his words. What did he mean by that?_

 _"Would there be a fight?" she asked him. Fighting in the bar was not new to her. Housen was one of the most dangerous men in Japan and China's underworld and many other yakuza and mafia often came to do business with him. When negotiation gone wrong, everything became violent. And Housen welcomed the fight. He enjoyed it. And he would kill every last one of his opponents, no matter if the women and other customers were there or not._

 _The man had that hollow expression on his face again. "Yes. Most likely." Suddenly, she had lost her appetite as well. She had seen too many of those violent things happening. She didn't want to see it again tonight._

 _"Will you be involved?" she asked. She had to know. All fight against the Yatos had always been brutal._

 _"Yes" he replied._

 _"Please be careful" she said, as she put her palm on his hand. "Housen is a very dangerous man. You know how violent Yato Clan is. Stay on your guard. I don't want you to die."_

 _The fear, worry and concern on her face were very palpable that it shocked him. Why was this girl actually worried about his safety? Most of the prostitutes he had met never really cared for their clients. They only gave false concern, false love. And yet, this girl... was genuinely concerned with his well-being?_

 _"Yes. I will be" he finally replied. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, trying to comfort her as well as seeking a comfort for himself. Despite what she said, he was quite confident with his own strength. Yato Housen, despite his fame, was only on his brother-in-law's level. He could take him out if he tried hard enough._

 _Her eyes wandered down to their once-again-joined hands. The feeling of his thumb rubbing on the back of her hand felt really nice. This was the first time she actually liked the touch of her client. She had never felt such peace, comfort and serenity with a client before. They always dragged her to bed quickly, roaming their hands on her body. And she had to let them. No matter how disgusted she was with the feeling she had to let them. She couldn't feel anything in her heart and body whenever they touched her. She always felt cold and numb._

 _But with this man, it was different. Just being near him made her feel nervous. When he smiled at her, she felt her heart beat faster. Perhaps it was because there was no lust in his eyes or in his smile. There was only gentleness and compassion._

 _He still looked thoughtful though._

 _"Is your mind still plagued?"_

 _"Yes." She looked around to see the other men and women around the room. They were in several states. Some were making out in the corner, the others dancing, while others were drinking. She noticed Miyako was gone with her customer. They probably went to the room._

 _She didn't know what possessed her. It was her customers who always made a move on her; the opposite had never happened. But for the first time, she wanted to do it. "Do you... want me to comfort you?"_

 _Knowing the implication of her words, his eyes-widened. "Is... that okay with you?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I am not asking you to." She looked up at him and looked into his eyes. She knew that he was sincere. He would never force her to do it if she truly didn't want to._

 _"But... I want to..." she replied quietly. He didn't reply to that. "Unless it is you who don't want it. I am not forcing you as well. You said you don't want to be here and that's fine. Just talking with you already makes me happy. It's just... if you want to... well, we can do that... I don't mind doing it... if it's with you..."_

 _He didn't reply to her proposition. She thought that he hated her know and was looking down on her. "Usually, I never accepted a prostitute's offer to have sex." She closed her eyes, preparing herself for rejection. "But on this particular night, maybe I need comforting." She looked up in surprise and saw him smiling at her. She put her hand on his chest and found out that his heart was beating as fast as hers._

* * *

 _Their bodies finally joined on bed. She was gasping, her whole face flushing. He was the same as well. Instead of feeling cold and numb like she usually felt with her other customers, she felt hot all over, and whenever her skin so much as rubbed on his skin, her whole body shook in tremor and shivered pleasantly. His body was muscular and hard. As hard as a rock. Her body was soft, slender, and pale-white._

 _After a while, she found herself on top of him. She put her hands and knees on the bed, getting on all four and trapped him. She finally got the chance to look at his whole body. She couldn't believe she actually slept with this man. He had the face of an angel and the body of a Greek god. His long hair was spread around his head, making an appearance of a halo. His muscles flexed around his body whenever he gasped. It was a beautiful sight. She treaded her fingers through his hair. She found herself attracted to it. It had a unique color. A mixture of grey and brown. Her eyes caught a black tattoo on his right stomach and traced her fingers around it._

 _"What is this?"_

 _"That is the thing that keeps me captive" he replied. He too, looked at her body. Her pale-white skin contrasted nicely with her long, jet black hair. He reached out to caress her exposed stomach and she shivered. She got down again and he caught her body in an embrace. They lay on the bed side-by-side, arms around each other, playing with each other's hair._

 _"If only I can spend more time with you like this" she said._

 _"Your sister wouldn't be happy." He then paused. "She also wouldn't be happy, seeing you caged in this place."_

 _She sighed. "You sound just like her. She has been telling me the same thing for so many times."_

 _"Then maybe you should listen to her."_

 _"What about you and your children?" He froze. "They also wouldn't be happy to see you doing something you don't like."_

 _"I will endanger them if I break away."_

 _"That's the same as me and my sister." They stopped talking for a while._

 _"If..." she started. "If I have the conviction to break free... will you have it as well?" He widened his eyes. "If I am able to break free, will you find courage to break free as well?"_

 _His only response was pulling her body closer to his. "If you can."_

 _She smiled at his response. "Then let's make it a promise. I will try to break free and you will try as well." She looked up at his face and caressed his cheeks. "Maybe someday, when you and I are both free, we can see each other properly. And we can do this again."_

 _He smiled. "Yes... Maybe someday..."_

 _She pulled his face to hers and joined their lips together. He kissed her back. The kiss was not lustful or hungry. Instead, it was gentle, compassionate, loving._

 _It was really her first kiss. Despite the sex, she always avoided kissing her customers on the mouth. Because despite not being a virgin anymore, she still believed in that sacred first kiss. Call her stupid, but she would only give her first kiss to someone special. This was the first time she let a man kiss her. And she didn't regret it._


	12. Sins (Part 2)

_She dressed herself back into her blue dress. He was doing the same behind her. She usually felt indifferent, tired, or even sad after sex. But this time, despite the energy used, she felt fresh and...fulfilled. She looked at her glowing face in the mirror. For the first time after she started doing this profession, she felt... happy... really happy..._

 _"_ _I have to tell you something" he said from behind her. "If you hear a bang from the negotiation room, please leave with the other women immediately."_

 _She turned around to look at him in confusion. "Is something serious going to happen?"_

 _"_ _Yes. If the situation becomes ugly, it will be dangerous for you." He was struggling a little in putting on his tie. She smiled and walked to him. She took the tie from him_ _,_ _put it around his neck and secure_ _d_ _it. She took his trench coat and help_ _ed_ _him wear it_ _too_ _. "Thank you."_

 _"_ _You're welcome."_

 _They went out of the room and walked toward the main room that the men used just now. It was just their luck that Housen was standing there waiting for them. They stopped in their track._

 _"_ _Ah, so you finally finish with you_ _r_ _business" the Yato said, his voice was dark and low. She knew that it was his way to show that he was angry. He glanced at her. "Did you enjoy your time with her?"_

 _"_ _Yes. She is very nice and fun to talk to" the man said carefully. He didn't know that he had just slept with the Night King's favorite woman._

 _Housen gripped his hand into fists. "I see. Well, our talk will begin soon. Your underlings had gathered in the hall. Come with me." With that he walked away._

 _She gripped the arm of the man beside her before he followed the Yato. "Please be careful. Don't make him angry. He'll kill you."_

 _He put a hand on hers. "Don't worry about me." She let go of him and he followed Housen._

 _She went downstairs to join Miyako and the other women. They_ _were_ _gather_ _ing_ _behind the bars. Miyako greeted her. She was the closest one to her among the women. Maybe because she herself was still in High School and worked as a_ _prostitute for_ _a_ _living. But unlike her who still had a sister, Miyako had no family left. "How's your night? I see you got a hunk. Usually the boss was always old and ugly. But this time, it's a really pretty one"_ _Miyako_ _said, referring to her client._

 _"_ _He is nice" she replied, nodding. Her mind flied back to the time they spent together. It was very short, but unlike with any of her clients and Housen, she actually enjoyed every minute and every second she spent with him. She didn't realize she was lost in a daydream when Miyako shook her shoulder roughly and called out her name._

 _"_ _Sorry Miyako. What is it?"_

 _Miyako_ _grinned. "Seems that you are attracted to him. Is he that good?"_

 _She flushed red. "N-no I-"_

 _A loud bang was heard from upstairs. The women and customers downstairs looked alarmed. She widened her eyes and remembered his request._ "If you hear a bang from the negotiation room, please leave with the other women immediately."

 _"_ _Everyone, let's go!"_

 _"_ _Eh? Why?"_

 _"_ _There's a fight up there!"_

 _Another bang, followed by series of banging sound, most likely from gun, as well as loud cries and shouts were heard once more. People started to run out of the room in panic. Lady Kamekichi led the women out of the building. When she was out, she looked at the windows of the second floor, hoping to at least see a glimpse of that man._

Oh my God. What if he was dead?

 _Her body moved on its own as she ran back into the building, Miyako crying out her name behind her. She ran upstairs as fast as possible and was flabbergasted at the sight in front of her. Blood and human' limbs were splattered everywhere and she could even see some of the organs spilling out of an opened belly. She felt a nausea coming and knew she was about to faint. She leaned back on the wall for a while, before forcing herself to stand up and search for him._

Where are you? Please be okay.

 _She heard loud sound from the negotiation room. She peeked into it and was shocked at the sight. That man was fighting a horde of Yatos on his own, barehanded. He evaded their weapons easily, stripped them from their weapons and killed them. A man came from behind brandishing a dagger. He easily caught his wrist, twisted it and pushed the dagger inside his mouth until the tip came out of the back of the skull. Her body shook at the sight of it. A man came from behind and shot at him, but he easily deflected the bullet with a sword he took from a corpse. Human limbs and organs flied around the room._

 _She was beyond shocked. The Yato Clan was a very dangerous clan filled with skilled martial artists. They were feared around the world for their strength and brutality. Yet, this man defeated them and killed all of them so easily. She looked at his face and found a hollow expression she had seen on his face back then and knew that he wasn't even trying. His face, long hair and trench coat were wet with blood but there was not a single wound on his body, despite the corpses around him. She noticed his comrades had fallen as well, their bodies scattered on the floor. Soon enough, he would be the last one standing. For some reason, he looked regal standing among those fallen corpses of his friends and enemies, drenched in blood, like a God of War. Like this, he looked more like a demon than an angel._

 _He grabbed a man on his neck, and easily snapped it, the cracking sound was heard before the man fell. Her whole body shivered. She never felt such an overwhelming fear before. Her instinct told her to get away from him. And she did. She slinked quietly out of the room, feeling light-headed._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" she heard a voice behind her said. She turned around to find Housen, standing with blood all around him. His body too was uninjured. She should have known that he's here. "Are you coming for me? Or for him?" he said, growling a little._

 _"_ _I-"_

 _"_ _You like that man" he said as if it was a_ _fact_ _._

 _She stood up straight. While everyone was scared of Housen, she had never been scared of him. "What if I do?"_

 _Housen was seething in rage. "Do you remember your contract? You have to be mine or your sister..."_

 _"_ _My contract sa_ _ys_ _that I will work here and my sister's live would be ensured." She faced him calmly. "I never agreed to be exclusive to you alone."_

 _He glared. "One night... only one night you spent with him and you're already smitten?"_

 _"_ _I didn't say I was smitten with him. But he is clearly better than you, who treated people like an object to use and discard."_

 _Housen sneered. "And what about him?" She froze. "What do you know about him? Do you know all the things he's done?"_

 _"_ _I have an idea."_

 _"_ _But do you know to what extent he's done it? He's even dirtier than me."_

 _"_ _He, at least, has a decency to regret it and has a desire to change. You, however, enjoy all the bad deeds you've done."_

 _He growled and marched toward her. She stood her ground. "Come with me!" he said, pulling her arm._

 _She tugged her hand away from him. "No! I won't let you use me again!" She pulled her hand as hard as she could. She had to break away. She had to break free from him._

 _"_ _Come with me or your sister dies!"_

 _"_ _She'll be alright!" She had always told Miyako from the first time she began doing this job that if something happened to her, please took her sister away and ran. She knew that Miyako could be trusted. Her sister was in a good hand. They probably had already fled right now._

 _"_ _You belong to me alone!"_

 _"_ _I don't belong to anyone! Especially not you! I'm not your property anymore!"_

 _She bit his hand as hard as she could. He let go of her arm and cried out in pain. She scrambled to her feet and ran. He ran after her, grabbing the back of her clothes. She continued to run, her clothes torn off, leaving her upper body naked. In rage, he grabbed a sword from a nearby corpse and stabbed the back of her ankle. She cried out in pain and fell onto her knees. She could fe_ _el_ _tears coming from the stinging on her legs but she suppressed the urge to cry._

 _"_ _I won't let you get away" he said in a low, angry voice. "If I can't have you, then no one can."_

 _She spat on his face. "I'd rather die than become yours."_

 _He cried out in rage, brandishing the sword toward her. She closed her eyes, preparing for her death... Except nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see the man she had only met today, holding onto Housen's sword... With his bare hand!_

 _"_ _You are really rough to a lady, Housen-san." He threw the Night King across the room as easily as one threw a ball. He took off his black trench coat and put it around her bare shoulders. "Here, wear this to cover your body."_

 _"_ _Thank you" she replied as she buttoned the coat._

 _"_ _What is it? You want to take her away from me, you disgusting crow?" Housen said, glowering at him._

 _"_ _No. As she said, she doesn't belong to anyone. Not even me. I just don't like the way you treat a lady."_

 _"_ _You got a problem with me" Housen said, standing upright. He looked the man in the eye. "_ Utsuro _?"_

Utsuro? _she thought in confusion._

 _The man squinted his eyes. "I came here to talk to you. To make you at least understand that what you're doing is not going anywhere. And maybe, you can help me talk to Harusameso we can at least do something to end this. But not only you defied me, you also killed my subordinates, before you heard my full explanation."_

 _Housen laughed out loud. "You, yourself, also killed my underlings, didn't you?! You don't come here to talk! You're here to threaten me!" He stopped laughing and glared at him. "You crows are scavengers. You came here because those old men were afraid of us, of the Harusame. Didn't they?"_

 _The man froze. "I have told you that I came here out of my own free will. I intended to ask for your help to overthrow them."_

 _"_ _Hah! This must be a trap isn't it? You crows always suck up to them. You're too loyal to actually defy them. The Harusame doesn't belong to you. Don't tell us what to do. We can wage war against the Naraku if you want. And I can kill those precious kids. The same way I did to your underlings" the Yato said, smiling menacingly._

 _He glared at Housen this time. "I want to end this without violence if possible. But you made talking difficult." He grabbed a sword from a nearby corpse. "Even though you are my brother-in-law's old friend, I am not going to be easy on you."_

 _Housen chuckled. "I don't give a fuck with Umibouzu again. He, who changed so easily just because of a woman doesn't need a respect as a Yato." He glanced at the girl. "I need no women."_

 _"_ _It seems that Kankou was right. You really have fallen."_

 _"_ _You want a fight with me? O, Yatagarasu?" Housen smirked. "So be it." And with that, the two ran to each other and clashed._

 _She watched the fight between the two men with slacked jaw. It was the first time she saw someone fighting on equal basis with Housen. Even so, she kept her eyes on the man, hoping that he'd be okay. But something was wrong with him. His face was too calm, too serene, too... empty?_

 _And it might be just the trick of the light, but she swore she saw the color of his eyes changing. It was no longer gray like rainy cloud, but red like dried blood. The Night King laughed during their fight, and the man smirked. And the smirk had a death flag to it. She watched in horror as_ _H_ _ousen slashed him on his shoulder, leaving a deep gush on it._

 _He grunted and jumped back a few meters. On a whim, she torn of a large chunk of cloth from her dress and crawled to him, ignoring the stinging on her ankles. He was surprised to suddenly finding her right beside him. She carefully wrapped the clothe around his gaping wound. Housen stopped and was shocked to see what she was doing. She finished wrapping_ _the man's_ _wound. At least this way, it prevented him fr_ _om_ _getting blood loss._

 _"_ _Thank you" he said. She smiled genuinely at him._

 _Housen went from shocked to seething in rage as he saw this subtle display of affection between the man who was his enemy and the woman he would never admit he had fallen in love with. With a cry of anger,_ _The Night King_ _ran to them, brandishing his sword. He pushed her out of the way and blocked Housen's sword with his own. The fight continued with the man leading to victory. She watched, a little apprehended as the fight became more violent. Though it was clear that Housen was losing, but she wasn't concerned about him._

 _It was the man._

 _He looked and acted like a completely different person as the fight continued_ _and became more brutal_ _. Now that she looked closely, she was pretty sure that his eyes really did change color. As she looked on, she felt that this wasn't a man that she had slept with just now and, dared she say, was attracted to. His facial expression no longer showing the gentleness and kindness she had seen before._

 _As Housen fell on his back, the man came to him and stabbed through his stomach, leaving the Yato crying out in pain. He stabbed his chest, then his hand, then his leg. The smile that crept on his face was an ugly and cruel thing, not like the gentle, endearing smiles he had given her._

 _"_ _How does it feel Housen? Is it such a pleasant feeling to be the one who is tortured? Do you know how I feel now? What I get under the hands of those elderly men?" he said. His voice was low and coarse. It was not his voice. And something in the back of her mind said that this person, who wore his body, who looked like him, was not really him._

 _He went to stab Housen on his head when she used all the energy she had to spring herself on him, hugging him from behind. "NO! STOP!" He froze. "Please stop. He can no longer fight. You don't have to dirty your hand for him."_

 _It took a few seconds but h_ _e_ _finally_ _lowered his sword and looked down to find Housen unconscious. He slowly turned his head to look at her. The ruthless smile on his face was gone and the color of his eyes slowly changed from maroon red, back to gray. She knew that he was slowly coming back to his old self. He let out a gasp and fell on his knees, she fell with him. He put both hands on his face and let out a long sigh._

 _"_ _Thank you" he said slowly. She smiled at him a little, ignoring the pain on her ankles._

 _They heard a serene came from outside the building. "Oh no, the police" he whispered. "I have to get away."_

 _"_ _I know a way to a secret door._ _This way." She tried to get up but fell on her knees again, wincing. Alarmed, he went to her and inspected her legs. He widened his eyes at the deep cut on her ankles._

 _"_ _Your legs..."_

 _"_ _I'm fine" she said quickly. "Can you help me get up? I'll show the way to escape." He picked her up bridal style instead. He carried her as she told him where to go. They arrived at a door that led to a small alley. "If you go through this alley, you'll arrive at the back of the hill. Housen built it for escape route when something like this happened."_

 _"_ _What about you?" he asked, glancing at her legs._

 _"_ _I'm going to be fine."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry for what happened."_

 _"_ _No, you don't have to." She smiled the brightest smile at him. "You free me. By defeating Housen, you free me from his captive."_

 _He smiled_ _weakly_ _at her. "Is that so?"_

 _"_ _Now you have to break free as well." His smile_ _became strained_ _. "You have to try. If you keep yourself the way you are, you will never achieve true happiness." She put a hand on his face. "Do it for yourself, and your children."_

 _He slowly nodded. He walked through the alley and arrived on a grassy plane. He put her down carefully. "I have to go. I'm sorry."_

 _"_ _Don't worry about me. Just go. Don't let the police get to you." He nodded and walked away._

 _Despite the pain on her legs, she felt relieved for some reason. A few minutes after he left, an ambulance came and got her. They received a phone call from an unknown man who told them that there was an injured girl behind the hill. They treated her wound and brought her to the hospital._

 _Her sister and Miyako came to see her after getting the message from the hospital._ _Her sister came to her, crying. The little girl asked her why she ended up with her legs cut and what happened during work. She realized that Miyako didn't tell the little girl the whole story. She was lying on the hospital bed, her bloodied and torned clothes was replaced with hospital gown, so the evidence of what happened was not seen. Her sister was still so young, still seven years old. Not wanting to worry her with the story of a mafia fight, she told the younger girl that she was caught in an accident on her way home from work. The little girl had already seen enough horror during that fire and she didn't want to add to it. A few minutes later, t_ _he police cam_ _e_ _._ _Knowing that they would questioned her_ _about what_ _happened_ _in the club_ _, she asked Miyako to take her sister home so she wouldn't know the truth_ _. They asked her whether she knew the man who called the ambulance, and she said no. They found Housen died from blood loss in the building and everyone was wondering what kind of person who killed the feared and notorious Night King. She told them she didn't see the killer. They asked her how she ended up with a bloodied black trench coat which was definitely not hers. Knowing that they're going to investigate it and search for the owner, she clutched the coat to her chest and said that it belonged to her late father, which she always brought around but never wore_ _._

 _In another place, he called his sister, telling her that the mission was unsuccessful. He told her his location and asked her to pick him up. He kept his visit to Housen a secret from the higher ups. He knew that he was doomed if they knew the reason he came to consult the Night King. A few minutes later, his sister and brother-in-law came to pick him up in a car. They rode back to his house while his brother-in-law called for their private doctor to treat his wound. He touched the cloth that covered his shoulder. Looking out of the car window, he thought of the girl, who despite seeing his bad side, still tried to save him. Back then, she stopped him from losing himself, and then helped him escape_ _from the police_ _. Of all people, he was saved by a prostitute._

 _In a hospital room, the same girl was looking out the window at the night sky. She had helped a killer escape. She knew that. But somehow, she didn't regret it. She knew he had his own reason for doing what he's doing. And he genuinely felt remorseful. He had killed a lot of people, but he had saved her. He had cut the chains that bound her to Housen. She was free now. Of all people, she was saved by a killer._

 _She hoped that like her, he would soon get his freedom as well. Unknown to her, her little action had sparked a determination in him to change and fight._

 _When they woke up the next day, they had just realized that they didn't even learn each other's name._

 _That night was the first meeting between Yoshida Shouyou and Hoshina Hinowa._

 **The last two chapters are about the past. In the next chapter, we're going back to the present.**


	13. Breakfast

Hinowa slowly opened her eyes as a light shone on her face from the creak on the door. She blinked several times until her mind cleared. Why did she suddenly remember that night? That night when she first met _him_.

Hinowa took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. Ten years. She hadn't met him for ten years after that incident and she thought she would never see him again. But life was really funny and unpredictable that they had to meet again in such circumstance. In this kind of situation. They had agreed to start over, but their little moment yesterday had sparked the buried feelings she hadn't known she still had for him. She didn't know what to do with this.

"Oh, Nee-san you're awake." She blinked and sat up in her futon. She looked at the vanity table to find Tsukuyo there, brushing her hair. It's funny that yesterday, it had been her who sat there while her younger sister had woken up, and now the positions were reversed.

"Tsukuyo, how long have you been up?"

"Not too long. I just came back from the restroom." The conversation was similar as well.

That's right. What made them finally meet once again was Tsukuyo… And Gintoki… It was so happened that her younger sister was dating his son. It was through them that she and he had finally met again. Tsukuyo and Gintoki's relationship had reunited them. She didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. The way they first met was really awkward, and now… she didn't know exactly how to act around him. Was what she felt for him back then was really love?

"Nee-san, are you okay?"

Hinowa snapped back from her reverie and looked at her sister. "Yes? What is it Tsukuyo?"

"You were spacing out, just now."

"Oh… I'm sorry… I just… had a dream..."

"About what?"

"About the past."

Tsukuyo went quiet. "Were you dreaming about the fire? Or about the accident?"

"Accident?"

"You know… your legs…"

Ah… that's one thing she forgot sometimes. Back then, Hinowa had told Tsukuyo that the wounds on her legs were caused by an accident on her way home from work. She had never told her that it was Housen who did this to her. She didn't want Tsukuyo to feel sad. She had already felt really guilty when Hinowa had to turn to prostitution to pay their school fees. And the younger girl also had to endure the bullying from her schoolmates for having a sex worker as a sister. Hinowa had thought of telling her the truth when she grew up. But after this turn of event, she didn't know… Telling her the truth meant that she had to tell the whole story… Which included her encounter with Yoshida Shouyou.

Hinowa honestly didn't know how to tell her sister about her meeting with Shouyou. First of all, he was her boyfriend's father, and he had been a killer… Although she believed he had killed not out of choice back then; the remorse she had seen in him clearly proved that. And second, she and he had done… less than appropriate thing together… She wondered how Tsukuyo and Gintoki would react if they knew what Hinowa and Shouyou had done that night. She was afraid that it would ruin the young couple's relationship.

"About the accident" she told her younger sister finally. "What are we going to do today?" she asked, trying to distract her sister from the topic.

"I don't really know. I heard something about shopping for souvenirs and birthday gifts."

"Birthday gifts? Is someone's birthday coming?"

"I'm not really sure. But I can totally see them planning for a birthday party for one of their family members. They are really close… and unified I guess. All of them even have matching tattoos."

Hinowa perked at this. "Tattoos?"

"Yes, tattoos. They all have matching ones, remember? Though they have it in different parts of the body and in different colors too."

The tattoo. Hinowa remembered that. Every member of the Yoshidas had it on them. A small bird-like symbol, with three triangles, one on the symbol, and two under the symbol. She remembered seeing the tattoo on Shouyou years ago. _"That is the thing that keeps me captive."_ He had said that. What did he mean?

They heard a knock from the door. "Come in!" they said in unison. Nobume opened the door and poked her head into the room.

"Good morning Tsukuyo-san, Hinowa-san!"

"Good morning Nobume-chan" they replied.

"Just want to tell you that everyone is gathering in the dining room for breakfast in a few minutes, so you better prepare." She then glanced at Seita, who was still snoring peacefully. "And wake him up too. See you during breakfast." She then closed the door, leaving the Hoshinas to prepare for breakfast and woke Seita up.

* * *

After taking a bath and changing their clothes, the Hoshina family joined the Yoshidas in the dining room. They were sitting at a big round table. The food was not ready.

"How is the breakfast?" Tsukuyo asked.

"Gintoki and our father are cooking it" Oboro replied.

They looked a bit surprised. "Gin-nii can cook?" Seita asked.

"Of course. All of us can" Oboro replied.

"Yay! This is the first time I eat Gin-nii's cooking!"

Tsukuyo too was a bit excited. She had heard from Oboro that Gintoki could cook. But this was the first time she actually tasted his cooking.

"Gintoki is the best cook after our Dad. You're going to love his cooking" Kotarou said.

"I can't wait!" Seita exclaimed. The others laughed at the 5-year-old's enthusiasm.

A few minutes later, Gintoki and Shouyou came out of the kitchen with their breakfast. "Yosh, everyone! Today's breakfast is Omurice" Gintoki exclaimed

"And the dessert is pudding" Shouyou added.

They started eating and chattering amiably. The Hoshinas found out that the food was indeed very delicious, like one made in a restaurant.

"This is yummy! Thank you Gin-nii, Shouyou-san!" Seita said.

Shouyou smiled. "You're welcome."

"If I know you can cook this good Gintoki-kun, I would have asked you to help me in the kitchen" Hinowa said, smiling playfully.

"Yup. And that's why I hid it from you. I'm too lazy for that" Gintoki replied. Everyone laughed. He then turned to his girlfriend, who was still staring at her food. "Oi what's up?" he asked her.

"This is really good."

"Of course! I'm the one who cook."

"You and your father."

"Sure."

Tsukuyo smiled at him. She actually felt a bit insecure. She wasn't really good in cooking. She's good in some housework like sweeping, mopping, washing dishes and clothes, and ironing. But she couldn't cook. Before this, she never had the urge to learn how to cook. She thought she didn't really need it as Hinowa was the one who cook every day. But after dating Gintoki, she often watched how her friends behaved with their boyfriends. They've seen them making bento or giving the food they make during cooking class to their boyfriends. She started to feel a bit self-conscious. The only food she knew how to make was Nabe. She too, wanted to cook for Gintoki someday. And having your boyfriend being a better cook than you was a bit embarrassing.

"Gintoki-kun is surprisingly a good cook, right Tsukuyo?" Hinowa asked her sister who sat beside her.

"Yeah." Tsukuyo nodded, looking at Gintoki. "He would make a good husband" she mumbled. Tsukuyo then blushed at her own words and looked down. She didn't mean to let it out, but thankfully, only Hinowa could hear her murmur.

At the word "husband", Hinowa's eyes unwittingly landed on Shouyou. Her face flushed a little as her brain started to bring out the thoughts. She looked down, trying to hide her red face.

Seita stared at his mother and aunt in wonder. They were sisters alright. They even blushed at the same time. For what reason, he didn't know. "Mom, Tsukuyo-nee, what's wrong? Your faces are red."

Everyone turned to the sisters in question, who were a bit flustered at their questioning gaze. "Uh, no it's nothing."

"Yes, it's nothing. Please continue eating." Hearing that, they shrugged and continued their breakfast.

"By the way, Hinowa-san" Shouyou said suddenly, startling Hinowa a little. "We have a surprise for you."

"Really? What is it?"

He smiled playfully at her, which succeeded in making her heart pounded. "You'll see it after breakfast."

* * *

Hiraga Gengai was a bald and short old man, wearing a working googles over his eyes. Something they didn't really imagined from the best mechanic and inventor in the country. He came to the villa that morning, around 10 o'clock, with his truck.

"Jii-chan! Long time no see!" Gintoki greeted him at the entrance of the house.

"It's nice to see you again Gengai-san" Shouyou said as he came out of the house as well.

"Yeah! Long time no see! Is your van doing well? If it's not, just bring the baby to my factory."

"Of course, thank you. Do you bring it here?"

"Oh yes! Where is the owner of that wheelchair?"

"She's here" Shinsuke said as the rest of the people came out of the house, Hinowa walking with her crutches.

"Ah! There you are lady! Here, you're gonna love this!" He opened the back of the truck and pulled out Hinowa's new wheelchair, which was still covered in clothe. He put the thing on the ground in front of her. "Come on, see it."

She hesitated for a few seconds, before pulling the clothe away to reveal her wheelchair. She let out a gasp.

"This is…" The wheelchair was a bit bigger, and it used bigger wheels too, made from rubber, like that of small bicycle. There was a machine under the seat, with a plug on it. The seat, backrest, and armrests were made of foam, covered in red leather. The seat even had safety belt.

"Wonderful isn't it?!"

"It doesn't look like my old wheelchair."

"Well of course! It's my own creation. It's electric wheelchair!" Gengai exclaimed smugly.

"Electric?"

"Yup. It runs on battery. You just have to charge it for one hour every two days. But you can still use it even when it's not charged. Just that it will only operate like normal wheelchair without the special features being active."

"Special features?"

"Oh, right! See what it can do!"

He motioned for her to sit on it. Hinowa carefully sat on her new wheelchair, Tsukuyo taking away her crutches. For safety measures, she put on the safety belt on her waist. "Look here, you can direct it to wherever you want with this lever" he said, pointing at the small lever on the edge of the right armrest. He then showed her the buttons on the edge of the armrests. "Try this red button."

Hinowa hesitantly pushed the red button. She let out a shriek as her seat shot up higher. "With this, you can reach things that are put on high places! To lower it down again, click the blue button." She clicked the button and her seat slowly lowered down to its original height.

"Now try the yellow button." As he told her, she tried it. Her seat slowly turned around 180 degrees until she faced the back. She stopped and looked at the button in awe. "With this, you can turn your seat around 360 degree. You want to go back, just push the yellow one again." She pushed it again, slowly turning around another 180 degrees and back to her original position.

"It also can walk on an ascending road." He pointed to the small stairs of the house's entrance. "Try with the stairs."

Hinowa was fidgeting a little, before slowly moving the lever and directing it toward the stairs. The wheelchair moved toward the entrance. It went up the stairs with no problem. When she was at the top of the stairs, Hinowa smiled in amazement. "It actually climbed the stairs!"

Gengai laughed smugly. "Told you!"

"How could it do that?"

"The wheels are made from special rubber. It is very elastic and it won't even slip on muddy ground."

"Oh, thank you! Really, thank you!"

"You like it?"

"I love it! Oh, this is so amazing! Much more than I expected!" She suddenly remembered something and the smile on her face was gone. "But how much does it cost?"

"Ah, don't worry. Shouyou's the one paying me, so you just sit there and take it" the old man said, flailing his arm.

She widened her eyes turned to the head of Yoshida family. "Shouyou-san, you don't have to…"

"That's alright. I told you it was on me, right?" He smiled tenderly at her. "This is the least I can do for what you did for me." The butterfly in her stomach came back, her heart beating hard against her chest. She knew that he was not talking about her cooking for them or anything like that. What he meant was long before that. He was talking about what had happened between them ten years ago.

"I don't how to repay you for this, Shouyou-san" Tsukuyo said, a bit guiltily.

Gintoki sighed. "Just take it. It doesn't cost much for us anyway."

"And you and Hinowa-san are going to be part of the family when you and Gin-nii marry, so why not?" Nobume said, smiling. They laughed when Gintoki and Tsukuyo turned as red as tomato.

"Shut up!" Gintoki shouted at them.

"Me too, right? I'm going to be part of the family too, right?" Seita asked them.

Shouyou put a hand on the boy's head. "Of course you are Seita-kun." He then glanced at Hinowa and smiled at her. She smiled back at him, the faintest of blush painted her cheeks. _Part of the family, is it?_

"Mom, can I try to ride it? It looks fun!" Seita asked enthusiastically.

"Seita! It's a medical equipment, not a toy!" his aunt reprimanded him.

Seita looked a little down. Hinowa smiled. "Maybe just a little bit."

"YAY!"

Tsukuyo sighed. "Very well."

Gengai shook his head as he watched their interaction and sighed to himself, thinking of his own son back at home. "Family…"


	14. Rival (part 1)

After having breakfast, the group set out to go shopping in nearby shopping district.

"Shinsuke, you drive the motorbike today. My butt hurts for riding it too long" Gintoki said.

"Yeah, yeah."

"And of course, since I won't let you ride with Tsukuyo, you go with Nobume."

Nobume blinked and pointed to herself. "Me?"

Gintoki nodded. "Yup."

"Riding the motorbike?"

"Yup."

"With Shin-nii?"

"Something wrong with that?"

They went silent for a long moment. Even Shinsuke didn't say anything. Tsukuyo looked at them in wonder. Not that she minded not riding the motorbike. She too, was tired of riding it for so long and preferred to ride the van this time. But they both looked somewhat uncomfortable with it for some reason. "Of course not" Shinsuke suddenly said. "There's nothing wrong with riding with your _sibling_ , right?"

"Uh… yes, of course" Nobume said, nodding.

"Good then. Let's go in Tsukuyo." Tsukuyo followed Gintoki into the van. She glanced at Shinsuke and Nobume and couldn't shake the feeling that something's wrong with them. Oboro got into the driver seat and started driving the van while Shinsuke and Nobume were riding Gintoki's motorcycle beside them.

"There is a shopping district at the far end of the suburb. You can buy souvenirs there, or anything you need. Today, we're just going there to shop" Shouyou said. "We're going out of the countryside for a while. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. We do want to buy some things we need at home" Hinowa said.

"And we want to buy supply for the party" Kotarou added.

"What party?" Tsukuyo asked.

Gintoki blinked. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell you that we're planning for Nobume's birthday the day after tomorrow."

Tsukuyo and Hinowa widened their eyes. "Oh, so Nobume-chan's birthday is in two days?"

"Nobume-san's having a birthday party?" Seita asked excitedly.

"Well, she doesn't know" Kotarou said. "We're planning to throw her a surprise birthday party. We will invite friends and family here at her birthday."

Something clicked inside Tsukuyo's head. "I see. So that's why you told her to ride the motorbike so she wouldn't hear what we're talking about in the van."

"Well something like that."

"Where will the party be held?" Hinowa asked.

"We're planning to have it in the backyard of the house. It's big enough for many people."

"Since it's her sixteenth birthday, so we thought why not?" Gintoki said, grinning wide.

At 1 p.m., they arrived at the shopping district. After parking their vehicles, they gathered in front of the entrance. It was small for a shopping district, but was still crowded nonetheless. The shops were arranged in two lines which faced each other, with a narrow road in the middle, making a long line along the suburb.

"It's very crowded here" Hinowa commented.

"This place is quite popular" Oboro said. "Many tourists from outside the country even visit here." And he was right. They could see some foreigners walking along the road.

"Where are we going first?" Shinsuke asked his father.

"You are free to go wherever you want. Just remember to go back here at 5 p.m. And when you go somewhere, go in groups, at least of two people. This place is not too large, but it's crowded around here. Don't go anywhere alone or you can get lost" Shouyou explained. They then looked at each other. "So where do you want to go? Personally, I want to go to clothing store to buy new formal clothes. I heard Nishikiya is selling Chinese silk now."

Hinowa perked at this. "Chinese silk?"

"Yes."

"Oh, can you bring my sister with you, Shouyou-san? She has been searching for Chinese silk everywhere for her clothes" Tsukuyo suddenly said.

"W-what?" Hinowa stuttered. "No, I-"

"No problem. We can go there together. I did say that we should go in groups. What do you say?"

Hinowa looked down, flushing a little. "If you don't mind then." Shouyou smiled. He then motioned for her to follow him. He walked through the crowd, and Hinowa moved her wheelchair with the lever to follow him.

"Well, they're gone. Now what should we do?" Shinsuke asked.

"That's right. I remember you need a new backpack, Seita" Tsukuyo said. Seita nodded.

"Let's go find a bag store or something."

"I'll come with you" Gintoki said suddenly. Tsukuyo looked at him in surprise.

"O-okay." The couple and Seita then walked away and blended in with the crowd, until they weren't seen anymore. The remaining people looked on in silence.

"Okay… so… what to do now?" Nobume asked her brothers, ending the silence.

"Well first of all, we have to go to the bookstore to buy some wrapping papers and other materials for decorat- AW!" Kotarou said before Oboro pinched his arm and Shinsuke stepped on his foot.

"Book store? For what?"

"We need some supplies for school" Shinsuke replied.

"You never care about school" she pointed out.

"Whatever. Let's go." With that, the four remaining people set out to the bookstore.

* * *

"This is the place" Shouyou said as he stopped in front of the building. _Nishikiya_.

"If I remember, Nishiki is the name of the family we met in Sakamoto-san's ranch."

"Yes, Ikumatsu-san and Matsugorou-san. They own this place."

Shouyou led her into the store. The inside was painted in white. A steward came to them. "Welcome to Nishikiya. How may I- Oh, it's you Yoshida-sama!"

"Hello."

"It's nice to have you here. It's been a while since your last visit."

"Yes, it is. I'm looking for some formal garments."

"Oh! They're right here!" The steward led them to the second floor. Thanks to her new wheelchair, Hinowa had no difficulty climbing the stairs anymore, without any help from other people. She spent her time looking around the store, searching for the Chinese silk Shouyou had mentioned, while hearing his conversation with the steward.

"Are Ikumatsu-san and Matsugorou-san here?"

"Ikumatsu-sama was here just now. But she went out a few minutes ago. Matsugorou-sama is resting in the house."

"I see."

"Is there something you want me to tell them?"

"Please tell them that I invite them to my daughter's birthday party"

"Of course."

"Shouyou-san" Hinowa called him. He turned around to look at her. "I'll go look that way… In case you want to find me" she said, pointing to the fabric section.

He smiled and nodded. "Alright." He went away and followed the steward while Hinowa wheeled herself toward the fabric shelves. She looked around the section for the fabric she was looking for. She had wanted to make some clothes from Chinese silk. It was hard to find and quite expensive. But she secretly had saved some money to buy the silk. She really wanted so sew something from it. But first, she had to get her hands on the fabric first.

After spending a few minutes looking at the various fabrics, she finally found Chinese silk at the far corner of the room. She caressed the silk and looked at all the designs. There were pink one with the pattern of blue flowers, a cream one with colorful birds on it, a white one with green leaves pattern, and a red one with the painting of a dragon on it. She looked at the price and then at the money in her purse. With the money she had, she could only buy one design. Which one she should buy? The white on with green leaves pattern looked fresh, but the red one with the dragon painting looked more luxurious.

"It looks beautiful" a voice said behind her, startling her. She turned around to find Shouyou there.

"You really have to stop doing that."

He chuckled. "But it's fun."

She sighed, but then smiled. For some reason, they had become more… casual with each other.

"This is a fine silk don't you think?"

"Yes" she replied, looking at the designs of the fabric in fascination. Shouyou smiled at her.

"I've always wanted to try to make clothes with this silk, but it's hard to find and is quite expensive."

"Do you have the money to buy it?"

"Yes. I have saved some money to buy this fabric."

"Seems that you have planned to buy Chinese silk for a long time."

"Yes" she replied as she caressed the silk. She then blinked as she was reminded of something. "Wait, aren't you supposed to look for formal garments?"

"I was. But then I looked around at the displays and none of them is to my liking. I came here to ask your opinion. Maybe you, as a tailor have a better suggestion."

She smiled. "Then let me see them." She followed him to the male-wear section. She looked around the displays for a moment. Most of the formal attires consisted of tuxedos and suits in different colors. Just as he said, she also didn't think none of them would suit him.

She wheeled around the aisles and found a black blazer hanged in the corner. She touched the soft cloth and thought that it would look good on him. She always thought that the color black suited him… like that night…

She shook her head and flushed. This was not the time to think back about what happened back then. As nice as the blazer looked, it wasn't full attire. She looked around the section again. She then stared at the rack of tuxedos, where a black tux and a gray tux were hanged side by side. Other than black, one other color that she thought would suit him was gray. Gray like his eyes…

Gray…

Black…

Gray and Black…

She blinked. She suddenly got an idea. She grabbed the gray tux, taking the white shirt dress and the gray vest. She then took the pants of the black tux. She went back to pick the black blazer she had seen before. Last, she picked a silver tie from the rack. She put all the clothes on her lap and smiled in satisfaction. Yes… He would definitely look good in this.

Hinowa looked around, searching for Shouyou. In her musing, she hadn't noticed he was gone from her side. As she came out of the male section, she found Shouyou near the stairs, talking to a woman.

Hinowa observed them. The woman was beautiful, with long wavy pink hair and dark blue eyes. It was obvious she wasn't Japanese. She laughed with a high-pitched voice and batted her eyelashes at Shouyou. He said something and she smiled playfully (almost flirtatiously) and put her manicured nails on his shoulders.

Hinowa frowned at this. It was obvious that the pink-haired woman was flirting with Shouyou. She wanted to go there and met him, but somehow, she felt she couldn't. Not with that woman there. She was about to turn around and went back. But it was too late; Shouyou had already noticed her.

"Ah! Hinowa-san! Come join us!" She smiled at him and reluctantly wheeled herself toward them. The woman was looking at her in wonder. "Let me introduce you two. This is my coworker from Australia, Jennifer Sanders." He then turned to the woman. "Jennifer, this is… well… she is the older sister of my son's girlfriend, Hoshina Hinowa."

"Hello" Hinowa greeted her, with a bright smile.

"Hi" Jennifer replied, a bit haughtily. The way she smiled at Hinowa was a bit unsettling. It was like looking at someone inferior to you. She glanced at Hinowa's legs and smirked, as if she found out that she wouldn't have to worry about having a rival.

Hinowa ignored the look and gave Shouyou the clothes on her lap. "Here. I thought you might look good in this."

He took the clothes and matched it. "The silver tie looks kind of off with the combination of black and gray. I think brown suit is better for you" Jennifer commented.

But Shouyou smiled as he looked at the clothes, and Hinowa forgot what Jennifer had said. "No I think it's perfect." He then looked at Hinowa, still smiling. "I trust Hinowa-san's judgment." Hinowa felt her heart warmed at the compliment.

"Are you sure about that? I'm quite knowledgeable in fashion and in my opinion-"

"Hinowa-san is a tailor herself. I'm sure she knows lots of things about fashion as well." He smiled at the black-haired woman. "Thank you for picking this for me."

She smiled back at him. "My pleasure."

He then walked down the stairs. "Wait here. I'll go pay for this." The two women nodded at him as he disappeared down the stairs.

When Shouyou was gone, Jennifer turned to her. "So Hinowa-san… You're a tailor?"

"Yes."

"How big is your company?"

"Oh, I don't have a company. I… work by myself."

"So you mean, you don't have a brand or a shop?"

"No. I am just a simple sewer."

"Hmm…" Jennifer put her hand on her chin and inspected Hinowa with a smile that somehow, made her feel self-conscious. Hinowa knew she was judging her. She was probably looking down on her, now that she knew she was poor. "I see… Makes me wonder how you get to know Shouyou. You and he are what? Um his son…"

"His son is in relationship with my younger sister. That is all our connection."

"But to me, it seems that you want more." Hinowa widened her eyes and Jennifer chuckled. "Come on. I can see from how happy you are when he complimented you."

Hinowa took a deep breath. "Well… He is a very nice man. And it wouldn't be strange if many women are attracted to him."

Jennifer nodded. "He is, isn't he? We met in Paris two years ago and he was indeed very… charming." Jennifer let out a dreamy sigh. "He's very nice and patient. Especially for a man with five stressing kids to watch over. I really hope they stop burdening him with all their antics."

"I think his children are all nice. I know some of them are hard to control, like Gintoki-kun for example. But he is a very kind young man, especially to my family. I don't think they burden Shouyou-san."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow at Hinowa's opinion. "If you say so. I still think they should behave better. I feel sorry for Shouyou sometimes. I've been attracted to him for a long time. And it seems that not even you are immune to his charm." Hinowa felt her body going rigid. "I have to say though…" she looked at Hinowa's legs "you're no match for him. I mean, don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to look down on you, but you…" Jennifer shrugged and Hinowa frowned "…disabled."

Hinowa kept her expression blank as hard as possible. "I am sorry Jennifer-san, but if you pointed out my condition… isn't that mean you, pretty blatantly, are looking down on me."

"Well, I am sorry. I am just telling the truth. And by the way…" She looked at her sharply. "A poor and disabled woman like you will only bring shame to him if you are together. I mean, he is the owner of a prestigious school that is famous not only in Japan but all over the world." Jennifer then smiled sweetly at her. "His world is much bigger than yours, Honey. Though, I don't blame you. He is nice to everyone he knows. Of course he would take pity for someone like you."

Hinowa felt like she had been splashed with cold water. It's like realization finally dawned on her. She smiled at Jennifer weakly and excused herself in a soft voice. She went down the stairs while Jennifer smiled smugly behind her. She went pass the cashier unnoticed and out the shop's door.

A moment later, Shouyou came back upstairs with the purchased clothes. He only found Jennifer there. "Where's Hinowa-san?"

"She went out just now. She said she felt out of place here and left after you're gone. She's probably going to other shops right now" Jennifer said. Shouyou raised his eyebrows at her words. He looked around the room to search for Hinowa again. His eyes landed on the Chinese silk she had wanted to buy before.

"Did she buy anything?"

"No. I told you she left just like that." That's strange.

He stared at the silk for a long time. Jennifer put her hand on his arm, tugging him a little. "Shouyou, it's been a long time since we met. How about we go to the café next to the shop to have some tea?"

"No."

"What?"

"I'm sorry Jennifer. But I am here with my family and I'm going to spend time with them."

"But, what if we-"

"No, thank you." He walked away, tugging his arm from her grip and walked toward the fabric section.

* * *

Hinowa was sitting outside Nishikiya. The steward had asked her to come in but she said she was fine out here. She didn't want to stay inside and see Shouyou with Jennifer.

She watched the people walking along the road. She felt numb. She didn't really want to admit it but what Jennifer had said was true. She was just a poor, disabled former prostitute, with a child. Shouyou was the owner of one of the most prestigious and famous institution in the world. She was no match for him. Even if he somehow reciprocated her feelings, she knew that many people would not agree to it if they did end up together. She had known about it. But having it pointed out made her feel extremely self-conscious.

 _Is this how Tsukuyo feels when she is with Gintoki-kun?_

When Tsukuyo started dating Gintoki, she was just like her. Insecure and unconfident. She thought she was not match for him. Gintoki was the wealthiest and most popular boy in their year and she was just a poor, scholarship student with scars on her face, which in her opinion, made her look ugly. Hinowa had been there for her, convincing her to pursue a relationship with him, and convincing her that he loved her. Back then, she hadn't understood why Tsukuyo looked down on herself so much. Now that she experienced it herself, she understood how it felt.

"Hinowa-san?" Hinowa jumped in her seat. She looked next to her and found Shouyou there. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh… um… I… Ah, aren't you supposed to be with Jennifer-san?"

"No, she left a few minutes ago. You are standing beside the door. You didn't notice her leave?" Was that so? She must be so spaced out that she didn't notice the door opened beside her.

"Here." He handed her a plastic bag. She took it and looked inside. It was the Chinese silk she had seen just then. He bought all designs! "I didn't know which one you want to buy, so I bought all designs."

Hinowa was silent for a long few seconds. "Are you looking down on me?"

"What?"

Her hand gripped the plastic bag a little. "You are so nice and kind to me… You keep buying me things… First my wheelchair and now this… Is that because I'm so poor that you pity me?"

He frowned. Where did this come from? "What's wrong Hinowa-san?"

She didn't reply for what felt like the longest time. She then shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Please forget about it."

Shouyou stared at her in suspicion. He thought about what she had said just now. What made her think he pitied her?

Hinowa looked away from him. She shouldn't have said that. It was rude. And it wasn't true. She could see in his eyes and his smiles, every time he helped her, that he was sincere. She should've known that all this time. He helped her not because he pitied her. He helped her for the sake of helping her. She had known that. It's just that what Jennifer had said had brought weird ideas into her mind.

"Hinowa-san?"

"Yes?"

"I didn't buy that silk for you out of pity." She didn't reply, but smiled a little. "Actually... there's something I want to ask you."

She finally looked up at him. "What is it?"

"It's for Nobume's birthday."

* * *

"That one looks good. But this looks cool too. And that one-"

"Please just pick one, Seita" Tsukuyo said, sighing exasperatedly. She didn't know that just buying a kid backpack could be this hard. "We only have enough money to buy one."

Seita scrunched his nose and looked at the bags in the display, thinking hard. "Hei, Seita!" They turned to see Gintoki walking to them with a red backpack in hand. "You like Jump, right?"

Seita nodded. "I like it!"

"Then how about this." Gintoki handed him the backpack, with decorations and pictures of Jump's main characters.

"Wow, they're all here! There's Naruto, Luffy, Ichigo, everyone's here!" Seita exclaimed, looking at the backpack. He then turned to his aunt. "Tsukuyo-nee I want this one."

"Alright then. Let's go to the cashier."

"I want to be the one who pay!"

Tsukuyo smiled and handed her nephew the money. "Go to the cashier and pay it then." Seita nodded and ran to the cashier, bringing the Jump backpack with him.

"You know, I can lend you some money if he wants more than one backpack" Gintoki said behind her after Seita's gone.

Tsukuyo sighed. "Gintoki, you and your family have been very kind to me and my family. We don't want to burden you anymore than we already have."

"You're not being a burden. It doesn't cost much for us you know."

Tsukuyo frowned. "I know that. I know that you are just being kind to us and it's nothing for you. For you, money is not hard to get, but for us… it means a lot… I mean that electric wheelchair must've been very expensive… and that way, you make us seem… pitiful…"

Gintoki widened his eyes. He then frowned. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Tsukuyo smiled at him. "I know. I'm sorry for saying that. I know you don't mean it."

Gintoki still frowned. He tried to change the topic to dismiss the awkwardness. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"What?"

"Pairing my Dad with your sister."

"Oh, that…" Tsukuyo smiled. She was not surprised that Gintoki had caught on. She had observed her older sister for a while now and it was not hard for her to see that the older woman was attracted to the dean of her school. Though if they did end up together, she didn't know what that would make her and Gintoki.

"So you notice it."

"Well the tension between them is pretty obvious. I'm sure the others notice it too."

"You don't like it?"

Gintoki raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Honestly? I don't really care. But if I have to pick someone to marry my father, I'd choose Hinowa-san any day over any woman." He then snorted. "She's way better than that perverted, snobby mannequin."

"Who are you talking about?"

"My Dad's acquaintance, Jennifer Sanders. She's one hell of an arrogant woman. She's been targeting our father for… well, forever. None of us really like her. She's too concerned about status and social class and all she did every few hours is looking at the mirror and fixing her makeup." Gintoki said, rolling his eyes. "Like that heavy makeup can hide her inner ugliness." He huffed. "I don't like her. And the feelings are mutual, I think."

"I see." Tsukuyo smiled a little at the faces Gintoki had shown. She then remembered something. "Seita's taking too long. Is the line that long?"

"Let's check him out then."

The couple went to the cashier and asked him about the boy. But he replied that the boy had paid and left a few minutes ago. They then looked around the store for Seita but couldn't find him. They then looked at each other in panic.

"If you're looking for the little one, he's here" a female voice said behind them. They turned to see Seita, coming to them with a lollipop in hand, while the other hand is holding the hand of a blonde woman.

"Ikumatsu-senpai!"

"Hi, there Gintoki-kun."

They walked toward Seita and the woman. Tsukuyo remembered her as one of the people she met in Sakamoto family Ranch. She had heard from Nobume that she was Kotarou's senior in debate club but had graduated last year.

"Seita! Where have you been?!"

"Sorry Tsukuyo-nee. I saw that candy store across the street, and…"

"I found him in the candy store and remembered that he was the boy that was with Kotarou-kun back then" Ikumatsu explained.

"I remembered that this was the lady that I met in the ranch" Seita said. "She's very nice. She even bought me this lollipop."

Tsukuyo sighed in relief. "Don't just go around without me or Gintoki! Shouyou-san said it before, right? Not to go anywhere alone. What if you get lost?! If you want to go buy some candy, tell me beforehand."

Seita looked down guiltily. "I am sorry Tsukuyo-nee. I won't do it again."

"Thank you senpai" Gintoki told Ikumatsu.

"Yes, thank you Ikumatsu-san" Tsukuyo said, bowing to the older woman.

Ikumatsu smiled. "It's alright… um…"

"Hoshina Tsukuyo."

"Right. Tsukuyo-san. Gintoki-kun's girlfriend, right?"

"Yes."

The two blondes smiled at each other. Ikumatsu then looked around the district as if searching for something... or someone… "Kotarou-kun isn't here?"

"Oh, we separate ways. He's probably with the others, planning for Nobume's birthday" Gintoki said.

"Oh, that's right! Nobume-chan's birthday is coming up in two days, right?"

"Yup! Her sixteenth birthday. Oh, I forgot to invite you. Dad is going to your shop to invite you and your father actually. Guess I'll invite you now. Please come to our sister's birthday party, senpai."

Ikumatsu chuckled. "Of course Gintoki-kun." She then fidgeted a little, a faint blush painting her cheeks. "I think… I'll go look for Kotarou-kun…" She then turned to Seita. "You want to come, Seita-kun?"

"I think I'll go with you."

"Then I'll just take Seita to the others."

"Oh, sorry for bothering you" Tsukuyo said.

"That's okay. Besides…" She looked at the couple with a sly smile. "I think you two will want some quality time together." Tsukuyo blushed at what Ikumatsu implied. "Enjoy your time together!" Ikumatsu said, waving at them while leading Seita by the hand away from the couple.

Tsukuyo and Gintoki stood there after they left.

"Well, just like Ikumatsu-senpai has said, we should enjoy our time together." He then smiled at Tsukuyo. "What do you say? Wanna go get some ice cream?"

Tsukuyo smiled back at him. "Maybe?"

"Good! Wait here! I'll buy us some ice cream." Gintoki went to the ice cream vendor inside the candy store. She knew it was just his excuse to buy some sweets for himself but she let it go. She sighed fondly at him. She knew that her words back then about him making her look pitiful was uncalled for. She felt a bit guilty for what she said. He and his family were just being nice to her and her family. She remembered that Nobume had said, long before this that they didn't buy things for them out of pity. If only all rich and elite people were like Yoshida family. Unlike the people in her old school…

Someone bumped to her. "Ah! Sorry!"

"No it's okay." She then looked at the person who bumped to her. A young woman with long, wavy sandy-blonde hair and sky blue eyes, wearing gold necklace and bracelets. She shivered. It was her old schoolmate.

"Hoshina Tsukuyo?"

"Sharon Manson?"


	15. Rival (part 2)

"The doll is cute. But the notebook is cute too. And then, there's the calendar."

"We already have a calendar of this year. And the next year" Shinsuke added the last part, before Nobume could say more.

"Then what about the strap? It definitely is the cutest."

"Sure. Whatever."

Shinsuke and Nobume were standing in the bookstore, looking around at Mr. Donuts merchandise. Mr. Donuts was Nobume's favorite bakery company, which just like its name suggested, sold mostly donuts.

"Maybe I should by the phone strap instead. What do you think, Shin-nii?"

"All of them look the same to me."

"You know, if you don't give me a helpful opinion, why don't you join Obo-nii and Kota-nii over there? Aren't you supposed to buy supplies for school?" she said, pointing her thumb behind her. She turned around to find the two of them gone. "Hey, where did they go?"

"They're going somewhere to buy something. Not like I know what they're doing. And I'm sure Kotarou's going to buy school supplies for me too." He knew what they're doing. They're off to buy the things they need for the party and they left him with her to distract her and to keep her unaware of their plan. _Damn them for leaving me with her._ "So yeah, anyway… I'm stuck with you whether I like it or not."

Nobume raised an eyebrow at him. She huffed. "Fine then." She turned back to look at the phone straps on the display. "I want to buy Mr. Donuts phone strap." Mr. Donuts was the mascot of, well, Mr. Donuts. Nobume always thought he was cute. What Shinsuke saw was a chocolate donut, wearing a sunglasses and a moustache, with arms and legs, wearing black pump shoes. "But if I want him, I have to buy Mrs. Donut too." Nobume turned to the side and looked at the strap beside . Mrs. Donuts, the wife of Mr. Donuts, was a vanilla donut, with eyes, long eyelashes, thick, red lips like Betty Boop, arms and legs, wearing red stilettos. The two were the mascots of Mr. Donuts.

"Can't you just buy the Mr. Donuts strap?"

Nobume shook her head. "I've already asked the clerk. He said they came in pairs and could only be bought together. But I only want Mr. Donuts." She then puffed her cheeks. Shinsuke couldn't help but think of how cute it was.

"Why don't you like Mrs. Donuts?"

"I like chocolate flavor more than vanilla."

"That's all your problem?" he asked incredulously.

Nobume ignored him and thought hard about it. "I know! You buy Mrs. Donuts and I'll buy Mr. Donuts!"

"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not interested in keeping that ridiculous thing."

"Come on. Do it for me?"

"No way."

"You're so mean. And to think that in two days I…"

"You what?"

"You know… _That_ …"

"What're you talking about?" He knew what she was implying. But he had to act as if he didn't know

Nobume widened her eyes. "I see… Well it's nothing. I guess I'll just ask Obo-nii or Kota-nii to buy her for me" she said, getting up.

"Wow, wow, wait!" Shinsuke said, getting in her way before she walked. "I'll go ask them. You just stay here. I'll be right back." He started walking away, turning around for a few seconds to yell at her "Stay there!"

She watched him go in confusion. When he was out of sight she sighed and looked at the displays again. It's not that she was feeling down, knowing that he didn't remember. Not that she was expecting him to remember her birthday anyway. She should've known. Shinsuke never really cared about such a thing. Her father and her other brothers might remember, and they're going to remind Shinsuke about it. They're probably going to have a small party with cakes and dinner. That's how they always celebrated each other's birthday. A private party, with only the six of them. This time, the Hoshina might join. Each of them was busy with their own business. But when someone's birthday was coming up, all of them would abandon what they're doing and have a small party. Even Shouyou, who was outside the country most of the time, would fly back to Japan just to celebrate the kids' birthday. He always remembered their birthdays. She knew that her family always celebrated her birthday. And that's why the fact that Shinsuke forgot actually made her feel down. Shinsuke was cold to people sometimes. But when it came to his family, he cared deeply. Despite not saying anything, he always remembered all of their birthdays. This was the first time he actually forgot about her birthday.

And it was her sixteenth birthday too. She didn't know what makes sixteenth birthday important for most teenagers. She didn't really understand what was so phenomenal about it. But seeing her friends all getting excited for turning sixteen, she too, couldn't help but getting excited as well…

But somehow, the fact that Shinsuke had forgotten had disappointed her greatly and dimmed her excitement.

* * *

Shinsuke looked around for Oboro and Kotarou. He had to make sure Nobume didn't find out what they were doing. He found them, buying for balloons. He also spotted Seita… and Ikumatsu. What were they doing here

Seita was helping Oboro picking up the balloons while Kotarou was talking to Ikumatsu awkwardly, both of them blushing. Shinsuke couldn't help but snorted. He really didn't understand Kotarou's interest in older women. Ikumatsu was better; at least they were only two years apart. Before this, he had had a crush on a widow at their neighborhood. Shinsuke shook his head. Oh well… He's not one to talk, seeing that he himself…

 _Maybe I shouldn't bother them for this._ Thinking that, he turned around and was about to go back to Nobume when he spotted a blonde hair, and a blue headphone in the store. He paled.

 _Oh, God… She's here?!_ Shinsuke started to walk away as fast as possible, trying to be discreet. But unfortunately, the two people had already seen him.

"SHINSUKE-KUN!"

 _Darn!_

The blonde-haired girl jumped and trapped him in a bone-crushing hug. He grimaced. "I never thought I see you here!"

"Hi, Shinsuke. It's nice to see you here. Though I thought you were in vacation with your family" the guy with the headphone said.

"Hi too, Bansai" he replied. He wriggled out of the girl's embrace and finally freed himself. "And Matako." Kawakami Bansai and Kijima Matako were his classmates and the people he hung out with at school.

Matako's eyes were sparkling. "Oh, we're even meeting during school vacation. It must be destiny!"

"Yeah, I don't think so. We went out of the countryside for now to shop here, that's all. What're you doing here anyway?"

"So you're with your family?" Bansai asked.

"Yeah. They're around here somewhere."

"Shinsuke-kun, how about we go and have some lunch together?" Matako said, pulling his arm.

"Look I told you, I'm with my family here."

"Oh come on. Just hanging out with a friend for a few minutes is fine right?" Matako blinked flirtatiously. She was beautiful. But just like Gintoki, Shinsuke disliked clingy girls. And he found the way she cooed his name and clung at him every chance she got annoying. He understood completely how Gintoki had felt around that glasses girl back then.

Bansai sighed. As much as he knew how deep Matako's feelings were for Shinsuke, he knew she didn't have a chance. Shinsuke had told him that he had a girl that he had liked for a long time now. He didn't know who the girl was though.

Shinsuke was at the verge of telling them their plan. "Actually-"

"He said he's with his family, so will you please let him go." They turned to the voice that spoke and found Nobume, looking at them with an unreadable expression.

"Oh, Nobume-chan! Hi!"

"Hi, Ma**ko-san."

"Who're you calling Ma**ko?! It's Matako!"

"Hi Bansai-san" Nobume said, ignoring Matako. "I'm afraid we have to go. We're going to join our family for lunch." She sneaked her arm around Shinsuke's other arm, "So, see you again" and pulled him out of Matako's grip.

"Well, you heard her" Shinsuke said. "See you later."

Bansai nodded. "Sure. Have fun family time, you two!"

"SHINSUKE-KUN! WE'LL NEVER BE APART FOR LONG!" Shinsuke grimaced. "Nobume-chan too, see you later!"

"Later, Bansai-san, Ma**ko-san."

"It's Matako!"

Nobume didn't reply to that and walked away from Bansai and Matako, dragging Shinsuke by the arm toward where Oboro and Kotarou were.

Shinsuke tugged her hand. "Wait!"

"What?"

"Maybe we shouldn't go there."

"Why?" She frowned at him in suspicion.

He sweated a little. "You want some donuts? I see a bakery next to the store. Not Mr. Donuts but at least it sells donuts." Just as he expected, her eyes sparkled. If you want to find something to distract Nobume, it was easy. Just mention donut.

"Well I am a bit hungry" she said, completely forgetting what they were talking about just now. "Let's go!" She pulled him to a different direction and he let out a sigh in relief.

"By the way, thanks for bailing me out just now."

"Huh?"

"From Matako."

Oh… That… Nobume didn't know what came over her. She was usually indifferent to the girls around Shinsuke. But when she saw that blond glomp him, she felt uncomfortable and annoyed for some reason. She couldn't dismiss the feeling that someone was stealing her things. On a whim, she stepped toward them and pulled Shinsuke away from the blond.

"No problem. I see that you're really uncomfortable and I can't blame you. She's really… energetic..."

Shinsuke sighed. "Definitely…"

"Well, see the bright side. Your case is not as bad as Gin-nii with that glasses girl. At least she's not stalking you everywhere you go to the point of staying the night, hidden in our house."

"Oh, you never know with her. Who knows? She might as well as bad as that Sarutobi girl."

Nobume snorted. "Yeah. Oh and by the way, I bought the phone straps of Mr. Donuts and Mrs. Donuts."

"Mhmm…"

"But I only want to keep Mr. Donuts. So I'm giving the Mrs. Donuts strap to you."

He frowned. "Seriously? Aren't they one strap and you can't separate them?"

"No. They seem to be together, but they're actually two dolls that are attached to each other." She pulled out the paired phone straps from her hand bag. The couple, Mr. and Mrs. Donuts, were holding hands. Each Donut had a strap attached to their heads. Even though they were presented together, they were two different straps. Nobume tried to pull the two little dolls away from each other to separate them.

"Why is it so hard to separate them?"

"Mr. Donuts and Mrs. Donuts are lovers. They're always together. And these two dolls have magnets that make them attached to each other, so when they were near, they will move toward each other." She finally succeeded in pulling away Mrs. Donuts from Mr. Donuts. She gave him the female doll while she kept the male doll. "She's yours. And he's mine."

Shinsuke sighed as he received it. He looked at the female vanilla donut on his hand, with eyes, thick, red lips, arms and legs, wearing red stilettos. He sweatdropped. It would be really embarrassing to wear this as a phone strap. But Nobume looked so happy as she pulled his hand toward the bakery, humming Mr. Donuts theme song.

He then smiled a little. If it made her happy, then maybe he could keep it.

* * *

Tsukuyo was staring at another blonde girl, gaping. The other girl looked surprised as well.

"Hoshina Tsukuyo?"

"Sharon Manson?"

The blue-eyed girl then smiled slyly. "Oh my… Fancy, meeting you here." Tsukuyo didn't like the way she smiled.

"What are you doing here? This shopping district is one of the best in the country. The things here are quite expensive. It's only for rich people." _In other words, not suited for a pauper like you._ She got the message.

Sharon Manson was her classmate from elementary school. With long, wavy blonde hair and sky blue eyes, she looked like a Barbie. Her father was American and her mother was Japanese. Beautiful and rich, she was the most popular girl in Tsukuyo's elementary school. Boys adored her and girls admired her. The teachers let her do what she wanted because her parents were the ones who gave the most donations for the school. And the result was a spoiled, haughty little girl.

"I… I thought you came back to America" Tsukuyo said. After graduation, Sharon and her family went back to America and Tsukuyo had thought she would never see her again.

"Well, yes I did. We came back here to come to see my cousin's wedding" she replied, inspecting her manicured nails. "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my family."

"Hmm… What are you doing here? Shopping? What can you buy here? I mean, these stuffs are too expensive for you."

"There are things that we can buy. We are not that poor."

"Hmm… I see… Well, you've changed from the last time I see you. I mean, look at you." Sharon looked at her. "Your clothes look better than back then. More stylish and clean." She then looked at Tsukuyo's face. "And I see you apply some makeup now. Though I have to say that it can't hide those scars."

Tsukuyo froze.

"How awful. You still have those ugly scars on your face. It's such a shame. You will be very beautiful if not for those scars. Even if you apply some makeup, it will not make your face look any better."

Tsukuyo kept her face blank.

"I have to say though. You stand out among the crowd because of you face. So I guess the scars do have some advantage right?"

Sharon let out a cute giggle, just like she had done long ago in elementary school whenever she and her gang made fun of her face. Being the most popular girl in the school, Sharon had a great influence to the students and even the teachers. Everyone would do anything to be her friend, and many already felt happy that she even talked to them. On the contrary, there were some whom she had never left alone as the objects of her fun. Most of them were nerds, introverts, people that were considered freaks in the school. Tsukuyo was one of them.

Tsukuyo didn't know what she had done wrong to gain their attention. She had studied hard because even though she couldn't repay her sister with money, she could at least make her proud with her achievements. So she spent most of her time studying and instead of playing like other kids did during break, she went to the library instead. And that put her in nerd category. What made it worse were the stitched scars on her left cheek and left forehead. Sharon was right, that Tsukuyo stood out among the crowd because of the scars, and that's why she was the target of most of the bullying. The bullying became even harsher and more violent after they found out that her older sister worked in a night club as a sex worker and that they both lived in said night club. Sharon had always called her "The Hideous Scarred Girl". And before long, that was what she was known as around the school. A hideous, scarred girl.

"So how are you? I haven't seen you for a long time now. Do you even go to school now? Or are you working?"

Tsukuyo smiled weakly, not wanting to react to her provocation. "I'm going to Gintama High School."

Sharon's eyes widened. "Isn't that the most prestigious school in Japan? One of the best schools in the world? That Gintama School?" Gintama school was one of the most famous academy in the world and only the wealthiest, smartest and most talented people could enroll in it.

"Yes" Tsukuyo replied rather proudly. "I enroll there with scholarship."

"I bet it's a scholarship for the poor." Tsukuyo didn't raise to her bait. "By the way, you said you came here with your family, but I don't see them anywhere."

"They're somewhere else. I'm also here with my boyfriend."

Sharon blinked. "Ooh, so you do have a boyfriend. I'm surprised that there's someone that actually finds you attractive. I also have a boyfriend. His name's Ryan. He's the captain of the football team in my school in America. But he's a jerk for leaving me waiting at the mall for half an hour so I broke up with him yesterday through the phone."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course. There are still Jonas, Tom, Henry and many others." She then looked at Tsukuyo, smiling sweetly. "So how's your boyfriend? What kind of guy is he? Is he part of chess club or something like that?"

"Actually, he's-"

"Tsukuyo, there's no green tea flavor, so I got you peanut flavor instead. Is that okay?" Gintoki said, walking toward them with two cups of ice cream in hand.

Tsukuyo turned to her boyfriend and smiled. "Yes, that's okay, Gintoki."

Sharon looked at the young man who had just appeared. Her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets and she gaped. Broad shoulders and long legs. Big, sturdy, muscular physique. Attractive pale skin. And lastly, exotic fiery red eyes and glossy silver hair.

The half American girl flushed a little. He was handsome. One of the most handsome guys she had ever seen. She had to admit that Ryan, Jonas, Tom and Henry were nothing compared to this guy. If she had to have a boyfriend, it should be him.

He turned to her, just now noticing her presence. "And who is this?"

Sharon snapped out of her daze and quickly extended her hand to him, smiling sweetly. "Hi. My name is Sharon Manson."

Gintoki blinked. He then looked at his girlfriend, who for some reason, looked really uncomfortable. Out of politeness, he took her hand and shook it. "I'm Gintoki."

"No full name?"

He raised an eyebrow in question. "Yoshida Gintoki."

Sharon gasped. "The owner of Gintama School? THAT Yoshida?"

"Yeah." She gasped again. Not only that he was handsome, but he was also rich and came from a family with high social status. He's perfect…

"You know Tsukuyo?" he asked.

"Oh yes. We're classmates in elementary school, right?" she said, turning to Tsukuyo with a sweet smile.

"Uh, right" Tsukuyo replied with a soft voice. Gintoki blinked at her reply.

"And what are you to her?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

Sharon's eyes widened again. She looked at Tsukuyo. Then at Gintoki. Then back at Tsukuyo. "Oh… I see…" _No way! This hideous, scarred girl actually has a hunk for a boyfriend?! Her boyfriend is better than mine!_ "So Gintoki… how is Tsukuyo in High School?"

"Hmm? Oh well she's the best student in our School, always gets the highest score. And she's also the student body president." He rubbed his girlfriend's head a little. "She's a real hard worker and always tries to do her best" he said, rather proudly. Tsukuyo felt her heart fluttered at his honest compliment. She smiled happily at him.

Sharon raised her eyebrow at the couple. "Oh, well she doesn't differ much since elementary school."

"Really? What was she like during her elementary years?" Gintoki asked curiously. Tsukuyo didn't like where this was going.

"Oh, well she's hardworking, just like you said. She preferred to stay in the library during school break" Sharon said, shrugging.

"That's not much different from now."

"My friends and I always told her she should go out and socialize more, but she never listened. She kept studying, not caring about her surroundings." Sharon sighed. "To make her change, we had to… bother her a little."

"By bothering, you mean pestering her?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well I do that too most of the time" Gintoki said, shrugging. "She really needs that to loosen up a little."

"I see. Maybe I should bother her too, like old times" Sharon said, smiling.

"Um, Gintoki…" He turned to Tsukuyo, her eyes were hidden behind her bangs. "I think I need to go to the restroom to wash my hand. The ice cream melts and running all over it. Please wait here."

She handed her ice cream to him and without another word, she went pass him and Sharon. "O…kay?" he said, unsure of what's going on."

Sharon looked at Tsukuyo, who went into the nearby store's restroom, smirking to herself. When Tsukuyo was gone, she looked at Gintoki. He was really handsome. And he was also rich. If only he was hers. But she could try to seduce him and make him leave Tsukuyo. She always succeeded in doing that to other guys that were taken. They would abandon their current girlfriends for her. And this one wouldn't be any different. Besides, he would definitely choose her over that hideous, scarred girl. She always got what she wanted. And right now, she wanted him. "So Gintoki… have you met Tsukuyo's family?"

Gintoki turned to her and blinked. "Well yeah. We invited her family to spend a holiday with us here."

"You mean your family is here with her family now?" she asked, shocked.

"Yup."

Sharon looked at him in disbelief. "I see… So how's her family in your opinion?"

"Her family? They're great. Her sister is kind, friendly and nice. Her nephew too is a nice kid. I like them. They're not exactly rich since her sister is only a tailor, but they seem to be happy with their life and accept everything, and I admire that."

"Wow, that's an improvement. Considering what her sister did and where they lived before."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Gintoki asked in confusion.

Sharon blinked. _Oh, so he doesn't know…_ Suddenly, a devious smile appeared on her face. It was gone in a split second. She feigned a gasp and put a hand on her mouth. "You mean you don't know?"

"About what?"

"Oh my, I can't believe she didn't tell you about this. I guess you two are not as close as I think you are."

Gintoki frowned in displeasure. What was it that he didn't know about Tsukuyo? "What is it? Tell me."

Sharon smirked behind her hand. "You see… one time, when we had a group project, we asked Tsukuyo whether we could work on it in her house, but she said we couldn't." Gintoki listened to her with rapt attention. "And we got curious because she never allowed us to visit her home. One day, she left her stuff at school and I and my friends searched for her house to give it back to her. We asked the teacher where she lived. And we were very surprised." She paused to give an effect. "You wouldn't believe where she had lived… She lived… in Yoshiwara."

Gintoki's eyes widened in shock. Yoshiwara was a famous pleasure district in Tokyo which offered sexual services everywhere. "Maybe she lived near that place, not in it."

"That's what I thought too. But then we followed the address and found that she lived in a night club. Literally inside a night club… Now I know what you think. She's only elementary school girl. She wouldn't become a sex worker. And she didn't. When we asked one of the women there, they said she was the family of one of the prostitutes there."

Gintoki's face paled. "You don't mean…"

"Yes! It was her sister! Her big sister worked as a prostitute in that night club and they lived in that building. When I peeped inside, I saw her helping the prostitutes, like cleaning around and such. She and her sister really lived there. In the night club. Believe it or not, I saw her sister with some old men once, and it was real."

Tsukuyo walked out of the store. "Sorry for leaving so suddenly" she said. She then looked at her boyfriend, who looked somewhat surprised, and to Sharon, who smiled smugly. She froze. There was something happened after she left.

"Isn't that right, Tsukuyo?" Sharon said, turning to her.

"What?"

"That you once lived in Yoshiwara with your sister." Tsukuyo' face turned ashen. Her hands trembled. "She worked as a prostitute in a night club there and you and she lived in said night club." Tsukuyo was speechless. Her mouth gaped open but nothing came out. "But I can't blame you. You were so poor that your sister had to resort to work that way for you to continue to live. Poor girl…"

Tsukuyo felt her voice caught in her throat. She couldn't say anything. She slowly turned from Sharon to look at Gintoki. He was frowning at her and she felt her heart stop beating.

"Is that true Tsukuyo?" he asked her.

Without warning, Tsukuyo turned around and ran away.

"TSUKUYO!" Gintoki called out to her.

It's over. Now that he knew. Why him? Of all people, why him? He was the last person whom she wanted to know about this. He would look down on her. He would hate her!

Tsukuyo felt the tears coming but she didn't care. She let it run down her face. She continued running, afraid of looking back.


	16. Comfort

**First of all, thank you to all the reviewers. For Alphamale23, I'm glad you love this story. Thank you for the compliment *blush* I was a little worried that not many people would like my story becaue some of the pairings here are a bit anti-mainstream. Anyway, here it goes...**

The shopping district at the far end of the town's suburb was a quite popular place. It was one of the best for tourists' destination. It made a long line along the suburb and sold many kinds of things from clothes, electronics, food, and other items. The place was flanked by a forest and a sea, so the scenery was also attractive. Many people came in groups or alone. Everyone who came looked happy and satisfied. Except for a young woman, who sat alone on the edge of the bridge. She was facing the sea, her back was to the street, so no one could see her face. To most people, she was just another visitor who was enjoying the scenery of the sea. But if they looked at her face, they would see that her eyes were looking down, not looking at anything. Puffy eyes, with the trace of tears on her cheeks and somber expression, she gave the impression of a broken-hearted girl. And maybe, she was. Though it's not as if she was outrightly rejected.

It was Hoshina Tsukuyo, who had just run away from her boyfriend. She was afraid of looking at him. Afraid of seeing a judging look he would give her. After what Sharon had told him, he might be disgusted with her. Disgusted with her whole family.

She didn't want Gintoki to know about this.

She didn't want him to hate her.

Maybe after this, they would break up...

Or maybe, she shouldn't dare to have a relationship with him in the first place...

They lived in a different world. He, in the extravagant world of the elite, and she, in the dirty world of the poor-

"There you are!"

She gasped and looked at her right. Gintoki was standing there, hands on his knees, gasping. "Why the hell did you suddenly run?! You know how hard it is to search for you in this crowd?! Do you know how long I ran around searching for you?!" He stood straight and took a deep breath. "Man, that was exhausting!"

Tsukuyo gaped at him. "You... searched for me?"

"Well yeah! What do you think I did?!"

"I don't know... Leave... I guess..." she replied in a small voice. He looked at her and sighed again. He then sat down beside her on the edge of the bridge. She still refused to look at him and kept staring at her lap. "Where's Sharon?"

"Huh? Oh, I forgot about her. I don't really know. When you ran away, I ran after you immediately, not thinking of anything else."

Tsukuyo's heart hammered in her chest. He ran after her immediately?

"And you just disappear among the crowd and I couldn't see you anymore. So I had to run along this place back and forth to find you. And just so you know, it's not a short distance."

"Sorry" she mumbled. He looked at her and frowned.

"Hei..."

"Yes?"

"Is that true?"

"What?"

"What she said."

Tsukuyo was frozen in her place. She knew that he would want to talk about it. She didn't want him to know. But now that it came down to it, why not telling him everything? "... Yes... Everything was true..." She kept looking down, not wanting to look at his expression. "My sister and I lived in Yoshiwara. My sister worked as a prostitute in one of the night club there to provide for us. I was six and she was sixteen. I was still in elementary school, and she was still in high school. After that fire, we didn't have anything else. We didn't want to become wards of the state. We also still want to continue our study. We still wanted to get education so we could at least have a better future. But my sister and I didn't have any work experience. We took part time jobs in shops, stores and markets around the town. But it wasn't enough. At leats, it wasn't enough to pay our school fees. And with my condition back then..." Tsukuyo softly touched the scar on her cheek, her hands trembling a little, which didn't go unnoticed by Gintoki, "...she had no choice but to work in a night club. There was this man... Yato Housen..."

"Housen?!" Gintoki exclaimed. "That 'Night King' who owned Yoshiwara?!"

Tsukuyo nodded, not noticing the shock on his face. "Yes, him. Housen was our father's old friend and he sometimes came to our house when our father was still alive. He seemed to be attracted to my sister. Our house was burnt, so we stayed at a cheap inn for a while, but our money was dwindling. After our father's death, he offered us a place to stay in one of his establishments on the condition that my sister would work there. We didn't really have a choice. We no longer had the money to stay in that inn and we still had to go to school. So we took his offer, and we lived in a room at the basement of one of the night clubs he owned. It was small but it was a nice room. Housen didn't seem to be a very bad person at the time. He seemed to be a generous old man who gave us a chance to live." She paused. Her hands balled into fists. "But we were wrong. He was just as cruel and vile as Jiraia, if not more." Gintoki noticed that she no longer referred to Jiraia as her father, calling him by his name instead.

"Housen was a cruel pimp. His place was a place for many illegal transactions. There were many fights in the club and he killed all the people who opposed him. At daytime, we went to school. At night, we worked in the club. My sister took customers. They paid her high for her 'service'. She was the most sought after in the club. Sometimes, I helped doing little things like bringing drink or food to the table, helping the prostitutes dress up, or taking care of their dresses and make up. I got some tip for it. We saved the money we got, so we could go out of there as fast as possible. But then we found out that all the women who came to work there could never escape and had to work there for the rest of their lives. Even when my sister and I already had enough money to at least last us for at least two years, she's not allowed to quit her job and we were forced to stay there. Housen lusted for my sister. He dragged her to bed every night, and whenever she refused him, he'd abuse her. After a night with him, my sister always came back with bruises all over her body. Sometimes, when I tried to defend her, he'd hit me too and threaten to kill me. Because of that, my sister had no choice but to give in." She let out a choked sound. "He was no different from Jiraia..." Gintoki wanted to reach out to her but he hesitated. His hand hung in the air for a few seconds, before slowly rested on her shaking shoulder. She didn't cry, but she seemed close to do it...

Tsukuyo closed her eyes to force the tears back. Feeling reassured by the hand on her shoulder, she continued, without crying. "My sister worked there for a year. We were given all the things we need. Nice clothes, jewelry, delicious food, money... But we didn't have freedom. I knew that Housen's men followed me everywhere I go. I was his weapon, his guaranty that my sister would stay there. Both of us still went to school during the day, but under strict surveillance. The manager of the club, Lady Kamekichi, didn't really like the special treatment that Housen gave us." She then smiled a little. "But not everyone there disliked us. My sister had a friend, a fellow prostitute, who was very nice. Her name was Miyako. She went to the same school as my sister and she too, had no choice but to become a prostitute to continue to live. She was our biggest support there. Miyako-san was our most trusted friend." She took a deep breath and looked up. "Thankfully, it was over after a year. I heard that, Housen got into a fight with a mafia and died. He was one of the strongest men I know and it was such a surprise to know that someone could actually kill him." For some reason, the hand on her shoulder gripped it even tighter. "Whoever defeated Housen, I have to thank him." Tsukuyo smiled. "He maybe a killer, but he finally freed me and my sister from Housen's clutches." The grip on her shoulder slackened.

"Is that so?" Gintoki asked her softly.

Tsukuyo nodded. Silence fell between them again. Tsukuyo fidgeted, twiddling her fingers. "So..."

"So?"

"You hate me?"

"Huh?" Gintoki turned to her with slacked jaw. What the hell was she talking about?

"Do you hate us now? Now that you know we once worked in Yoshiwara?"

"Wha- NO!" He gaped at her. Where did this come from? "What makes you think I'd hate you?"

Tsukuyo looked down sadly. "It's just... my sister was a prostitute once-"

"It was not her choice. And she did it to provide for you" Gintoki said, cutting her sentence. "You think I will hate you just because you lived in a red light district before? It's not your choice. You did it to continue to live. If anything, I admire you." Tsukuyo turned to look at Gintoki in surprise. She finally saw his face. He looked at her with seriousness in his eyes. "You struggled so much to live and continue your study. You endured all the pain and sadness. If anything, I'm sad that you have to go through such a thing."

"So... you want us to... stay together?"

"Of course!"

"But people will think-"

"To hell with other people." He rolled his eyes before focusing on her. "What I care about is you."

Tsukuyo flushed a deep red, her heart beat faster in her chest. "Why?" she asked, just like she did long ago when he said he wanted to go out with her.

Gintoki shook his head, seriously not knowing where such a deep insecurity came from. He remembered the old days. Back before he met her. He was a rebellious kid in school, always cutting class, talking back to the teacher, and getting into fights with other delinquents. But he always passed the exams with flying colors. Many people thought he cheated but he really didn't. His father and siblings always told him how brilliant he was. He just didn't like studying that's all.

He was strong. The strongest fighter in school and so, many gangs from other schools came to challenge him. He never started the fight. They were the ones who came to him. He fought them. And he always won. That, coupled with his demeanor, earned him a reputation in school as a delinquent. Though he really wasn't that bad. He was just grumpy, sarcastic and brash... and maybe a bit violent sometimes... Without long, everyone in school started to fear him. He was a brilliant student even though he never did his homework and rarely came to class. Because of that, everyone was jealous of him.

Not many people came close to him. They either feared him or admired him from afar. No one dared reprimanding him, not even the teachers or the staffs. His status as the dean's son made him feared. He also had fans; both girls and boys. They didn't fear him. But they treated him like he was a God, and always defended all of his actions. Whenever a teacher or a staff preached at him, the fangirls or fanboys were always there to protect him, saying that he never did any wrong, and as the dean's son, he could do anything he wanted. He always left the dispute unnoticed. He hated it whenever they played that card. The dean's son...

Most of the time, he felt empty. Other times, he felt mad. He could feel the turmoil in his brain sometimes. He let it all out when he fought, making his opponents the outlet of his frustration. That's why no one dared made him angry.

No one dared talking back to him other than his family. And even though they often chastised him for his behavior, they couldn't blame him for it. Shouyou especially, often looked at him with remorse and guilt in his eyes. He always assured his father that he's fine, but they knew he's not. And they couldn't do anything about it. No one was strong enough to handle it but him. So they helplessly continued to watch him struggling with the inner demon by himself, with deep sadness. They let him do as he wished.

Gintoki was either feared or admired. He was very popular, but somewhat untouchable. He was looked at either as a demon or a God. His fighting strength and his status as the dean's son made no one wanted to mess with him. His fangirls and even fanboys, never opposed him. They let him do what he wanted, defending all of his actions, doing everything he wanted. But he hated it. He didn't want to be treated as a demon or a God. He wanted to be treated as a human. The only people who treat him that way was a handful, like Tatsuma. The people he knew from childhood, like Tatsuma, Ikumatsu, Tetsuko and Otose didn't see him that way, because they had seen the real him. Not a demon or a God. But a boy.

No one –students, teachers, or staffs- dared reprimand him. No one but her...

Tsukuyo was the very first person other than his family who dared reprimanding him for his behavior. They were in the same class during the first year of High School, and their homeroom teacher put them next to each other because she was the only one who dared talk back to him. She had told him that she aimed to become the student council's president. She made many efforts to change him, because she said, if she couldn't even change one student, then she wouldn't be able to manage the entire student body. She made sure he came to school and not cutting classes again. She dragged him to the library after school to make sure he did his homework. Whenever he insulted her, she just threw something she had in her hand to his head, and she never missed. Sometimes, it's her dictionary, her bag, her umbrella, and sometimes, it's just an eraser, pencil or ruler. But one time, she threw a compass at him when he said something inappropriate, and the sharp point actually hit his forehead hard, spurting blood. He could easily fight her back if he wanted; but beating up a woman was not his style.

At first, he found her annoying; she was like Kotarou and Oboro, combined into one, which equaled a major headache. He wished for her to go away, just like everyone else. He had threatened to beat her up once. He wasn't exactly going to do it, but he said it in attempt to get her away. She said, she wasn't afraid and even dared him to do it. One time, he had threatened to kick her out of the school; after all he was the dean's son and it was easy for him. She had paused for a while and he thought he had finally succeeded. But then, she had said something that surprised him: _"I know you're not going to do that. You are not that bad of a person."_

He was beyond shocked after she said that. From then on, he never threatened her again. And slowly, he started to like her company. One time, he was accused of cheating by the teachers. His fans were there, defending him. But they didn't have any proof to oppose it. It was her who surprisingly defended him, with facts, logic, and evidence. She won the case, and the teachers apologized to him. _"The student council always defends the students' rights"_ she had said to him back then.

One time, after he came home from a late practice in kendo club, he found her and three of her friends, being pulled by some men into an alleyway. He thought it really wasn't his business, but when he heard her scream, he suddenly felt rage fill him. He beat those men up, easily. The police came. They found the men lay unconscious in a bloody heap. It happened near the school, so the teachers found out about it as well. They accused him of making a big ruckus again. And unsurprisingly, it was Tsukuyo again who defended him. She told them the truth that the men were the one at fault for trying to kidnap and rape her and her friends, and Gintoki was the one who saved them. She even talked back to the teachers and the police. What she said back then really surprised him. _"Just because he hurts people, doesn't mean he is not hurt himself!"_

After that day, they became closer to each other. Tsukuyo made Gintoki behave better. Gintoki helped Tsukuyo to loosen up a bit. Seeing her getting close to him, everyone's perspective of him changed as well. One by one, they started to approach him. They no longer treated him like a demon or a God, but as a human. Tsukuyo changed too, from a strict, diligent and serious president, to a more cheerful and easygoing person. He dragged her to do some fun during weekends, whether it was to a movie, bowling alley, game center, or even to a park. Where she forced him to study, he forced her to play. They hung out with friends during weekends and then did homework together. He even took her home from school sometimes; that was when he got to know her family. He asked her to go with him to the school's prom night, in which they kissed for the first time. After taking her home that night, he finally told her he wanted to be more than friends with her.

After that night, she was avoiding him and he was confused. She chose to sit at the far end of the room, away from him, walked out of class as fast as possible, not answering his phone calls and text messages. He finally caught her after school, after a week not talking to her. He confronted her and asked her why she's avoiding him. He asked her to be his girlfriend. But she said, she was no match for him. He was baffled. It was him who supposed to feel that way. After a few encouragements, she finally agreed and they became a couple the next day, to the surprise of many people (the student council's president, who was also an honored scholarship student, was dating the notorious delinquent, who was also the dean's son?)

He thought they were over that already. But it seemed that she still had the insecurity from back then.

"Tsukuyo, remembered what I said back then, before we dated?"

"That you love me for who I am?"

"Exactly."

"Although... I'm not pretty?"

"Says who?" Gintoki asked incredulously. Tsukuyo fidgeted a little. She never told him that the people from her old schools always called her 'Hideous Scarred Girl'. "You are beautiful Tsukuyo. Even with those scars. Or maybe, it's because of the scars. They somehow make you look sexier. Or maybe I just have a kink with scars. Scars are hot" he said that with a good humor. Tsukuyo slapped his chest playfully, smiling wide. He grinned at her. "But what I really focus on is your personality. You are kind, patient, humble, hardworking, modest, and caring. You made an effort to change me, when nobody else did. You were there to defend me when people accused me for what I didn't do. You changed people's perspective of me. You have a big heart. And I want to thank you for accepting a grumpy and crash guy like me."

Tsukuyo shook her head. "You too have good qualities Gintoki. You're caring, understanding, protective, brave and kind. You can be very warm and friendly if you want to. And although it's rare for you to show it, you're quite chivalrous." She smiled up at him. "I'm really happy that you choose me."

Gintoki's smile turned sad for a few seconds and she didn't know why. "Thank you" he said, pulling her to his chest and pressed his lips on her forehead. She circled her arms around him, hugging him back. She's really glad he accepted her.

"By the way, what happened to the ice creams?"

"Darn! I forgot! I released them when I ran after you! They might be left splattered on the street now."

Tsukuyo giggled. Gintoki smiled and hugged her tighter; it almost felt like he needed this more that she did. She remembered the sad smile he showed her just now and she couldn't help but hug him back just as tight to comfort him. She didn't know what he's going through. Still didn't know much about him and his past. But she was willing to wait. After all, she had fallen deeply in love with him.

Meanwhile, there was something she had been meaning to ask him.

"Um... Gintoki?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you teach me martial arts?"


	17. Memories

Gintoki and Tsukuyo walked back to their meeting point, which was the front gate of the district.

"Are you really serious about that?"

"What?"

"Learning martial arts."

"Of course."

"If you want, you can just ask our Dad to teach you. I'm not cut out for training you know" Gintoki said, ruffling his own hair.

"That's a lie. I know you secretly train Shinpachi every week."

"Wha-how did you-"

"Tae was the one who told me." Shimura Tae was one of her closest friends and she was also Shinpachi's older sister. The Shimuras owned a martial art school. Other than in Kendo club, Gintoki never trained anyone in fighting. But Tae had told her that Shinpachi had asked Gintoki to teach him personally. Gintoki refused at first, but Shinpachi was persistent. As the result, he often came to Yoshida Mansion every Friday to train with Gintoki. Tsukuyo was surprised to hear that from Tae. It was a bit out of character for Gintoki to do it. He was usually so aloof and lazy. Even in the club, he rarely trained himself, though his strength remained superior. But then again, he was also weak with children, and he saw something in Shinpachi that seemed to interest him. And the boy went out of his way to ask Gintoki himself. Tsukuyo knew that if he wanted to learn how to fight, he could learn it from his father, his sister, the couch at his dojo, Obi Hajime, or even Kyubei, who was also in the same Kendo club with Gintoki. But of all people, he chose the White Demon himself. Tsukuyo knew the younger boy admired him so much. Shinpachi, like Kagura, was very attached to Gintoki.

He sighed. "Ah, whatever. Fine then. When do you want to start?"

"Tomorrow maybe?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" She nodded and he sighed. "Fine then."

They arrived at the meeting point. The others had already gathered there, except for one person. "Where's Nee-san?" Tsukuyo asked.

"Oh, she's not going home with us tonight. He stays at the Nishikis to work on something" Shouyou said.

Tsukuyo blinked in surprise. "Ikumatsu-san's place?"

"Yes."

"What is she doing there?"

"She is working on something that I asked her. I thought she has already told you."

"No, she hasn't." When she saw the worry lines on Shouyou's face, she quickly said "But she might tell me soon. Don't worry. I don't mind."

"Mom's not going to come home with us tonight?" Seita asked, tugging on Shouyou's sleeves.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind. I asked your mother to do something for me."

"What is it Dad?" Nobume asked.

Shouyou put his pointer finger in front of his lips and smiled. "That's a secret."

Tsukuyo and Seita let it go for now. After all, they trusted Shouyou and as long as Hinowa was safe, then it's fine for them. They got ready to go. Oboro once again went to the front seat of the van and drove it back to the countryside while Shinsuke and Nobume rode the motorbike beside them. While the others huddled in the middle of the van to discuss Nobume's surprise birthday party, Tsukuyo went to sit on the hammock at the far end of the van, away from the others. She called her sister and a few ringings later, she picked up.

 _"Moshi moshi."_

"Nee-san?"

 _"Ah, Tsukuyo! Sorry, I forgot to tell you that I'm not going to come home with you tonight."_

"That's alright. Shouyou-san's already told me. He said he asked you to do something for him."

 _"Yes. I am making Nobume-chan's birthday clothes."_

"Oh?"

 _"Yes. Shouyou-san asked me to make two dresses for her as birthday gifts from the family. But her birthday is in two days so I have to work extra hard to make them. I'm going to pull an all-nighter for two nights. And I'm going to stay in Nishiki family house for a while. They own a clothing store after all, so they have all the things I need."_

"I see." Tsukuyo went silent for a while until she remembered something. "Oh no! We forgot about our own gift for Nobume-chan! I didn't buy her anything at all. Gintoki said that it's fine and that we didn't have to give any present but I still feel bad."

 _"Don't worry. I'm working on that too."_

"Eh?"

 _"Shouyou-san also told me that I don't have to give anything. But I'm planning on making another dress for her as a gift from the three of us."_

"Really?"

 _"Yes. I'm making it along with the other two."_

"Well, good luck then Nee-san. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you." Tsukuyo knew that making three dresses in two nights was not an easy task.

 _"It's okay Tsukuyo. I'll be fine. I have the workers at Nishikiya to help me. It's not like I'm going to sew them all by myself. That's why I'm staying in the Nishikis in the first place."_

Oh, right. She forgot about that. "Oh, that's right."

 _"Maybe you can come to Nishikya tomorrow morning to help me?"_

"Sure. But I'll go there after morning practice."

 _"Morning practice?"_

Tsukuyo remembered that she hadn't told her sister about her decision to learn martial arts. "Um, Nee-san... I asked Gintoki to train me in Martial arts. He said we started tomorrow morning."

She could hear Hinowa's surprise from her voice. _"Really? Why so sudden?"_

Tsukuyo thought about her family. About her sister and nephew. She then remembered about her childhood. Her meeting with Sharon reminded her of the old days, back when she and her sister still lived with Jiraia, and then when they had to work under Housen. It was only three years, but it was the darkest three years of their lives. She didn't want to go through that again; being abused, mocked, and humiliated. Seita was still very young and Hinowa... with her current condtion, she could not defend herself if she wanted. Tsukuyo knew that if there was someone who could protect her family, it was herself. She realized that there were many people out there who were as bad as Housen and Jiraia, or even worst. She was only a child back then, so she couldn't do anything against them. But now, she was older and stronger. She could defend for herself and her family. She had to protect them.

"I want to protect you" Tsukuyo said, with such resolute voice. "I want to protect you and Seita. I want to protect our family."

 _"Tsukuyo dear..."_

"I don't want to make you get through so much suffering again, Nee-san."

On the other line, Hinowa was silent. She knew that until today, Tsukuyo still felt guilty for putting her in that situation. The girl felt so horrible everytime she remembered that she was the one who dragged Hinowa into this by forcing Jiraia to adopt her as well. If she hadn't done it, the older girl would still live happily in the foster home. She wouldn't have to become a prostitute to take care of Tsukuyo after Jiraia died. And she wouldn't have to lose her legs. "Nee-san, I'm going to protect you and Seita no matter what" Tsukuyo said with so much determination in her voice. Somehow, she could imagine Hinowa smiling on the other line.

 _"Alright. If that's what you want, then I am not going to go against it. Just don't overwork yourself."_ Hinowa knew how hardworking her sister could be when she set her goal on something.

"Of course. You too, Nee-san. Don't forget to rest." And Tsukuyo too, knew how hard Hinowa could work, if it's for someone else. Knew her older sister's stubborness. That was one of the things they shared as sisters.

 _"I'll see you tomorrow then?"_

"Yes. I'll be going to Nishikiya after my morning practice with Gintoki."

 _"Alright then. Good night."_

"Good night."

* * *

 _She heard another breaking of glass from her father's room. But she was too afraid to come in and see what happened. Her sister went shopping to the market and she was alone with him at the time. She was afraid to look, afraid to go near him. Especially when he was like this. The last time she went to him when he was drinking, he had started calling her Tsukino, then hit her. He never really did that with her sister. It was always her._

 _She glanced at a picture of a young woman at the corner of the room. A beautiful girl with short brown hair and dark blue eyes. She looked just like her. Only older, and with different hair and eye colors. Even their names were similar. She looked down at the letters under the picture._

Tsukino _._

 _A loud moan was heard from the room, and a silent sob. At this, she came inside, worrying a little about her father. Jiraia, her adoptive father was sitting on his working table, a bottle of vodka in hand. He looked at the floor with empty eyes and hiccuped. She stood by the door in fear of startling him._

 _"Father?" she called him cautiously._

 _The man turned his head to her. He looked at her with unfocused eyes. She kept herself there, scared of coming closer. Jiraia could be very kind one moment, and then became very abusive the next. He hadn't been like that when they first met._

 _When she and her sister first met the man, he had been very nice to her and her sister and they instantly liked him. He was rich. They both lived in a big house, having all their needs fulfilled. And he was very kind too. At first, they thought they were lucky to have him as their parent. But as time went by, he started to show a violent side that he had not shown before. Particularly toward her. There were times when he started calling her Tsukino, and when she denied it, he'd hit her. Whenever her sister tried to protect her, he'd hit the older girl too. More than one year living with him, they started to suspect that his mental wasn't exactly stable. She didn't know what had happened to his sister. What had happened to Tsukino. She guessed it had something to do with his face. Jiraia had a burnt on the right side of his face. It was large and ugly. Whenever she asked him about the burnt or his sister, he was always mad at her and started to hurt her._

 _When he finally looked at her, he walked, swaying a little toward her. "Oh... Tsukino... oh my little girl..."_

 _She took a sharp breath._ There he goes again.

 _Jiraia pulled her into an embrace. "You've finally come home. My dear sister." She let him cooed at her. Let him call her Tsukino. Because he always looked happier whenever she did that. Because if she didn't play along, he would hurt her. He pulled her away and put his hands on her shoulders. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you."_

 _"I-I went o-outside to p-play" she replied, stuttering a little._

 _"Oh, is that so? Come here. Onii-chan has something for you." He tugged her inside the room, his other hand still holding the bottle of vodka he had drunk just now. Jiraia sat her on the small chair beside the table and then rummaged under the bed. He pulled a small box, layered with dust. Cleaning the box, he pulled it open and pulled out a white hairband with white flowers on it._

 _"Here." He put the hairband on her head. "Happy birthday" he said, grinning. "It's your favorite flower. You always told me you want a hairband with this flower." He then noticed her confused and horrifed expression. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"_

 _"No! I-I like it. Thank you..."_

 _Jiraia seemed happy as he went to look out the window. She watched him cautiously._ Oh my goodness. He really thought that I'm his sister. What should I do? _She panicked inside her head, not knowing what to do. She knew that he adopted her because of her similarity with his late younger sister. At first, whenever he called her Tsukino, she dismissed it as a slip of the tongue. But he started to regard her more and more as Tsukino, and not as herself. And whenever she tried to correct him, he went mad. He only adopted her so she could become a replacement of his sister. When his obsession over his dead sister came down to this, she felt really scared and terrified. When he was like this; drunk and unstable, with dangerous mood swings, she didn't know what he would do next. She really hoped her sister came home soon. She then glanced back at Jiraia and found him watching her as well._

 _"Tsukino..."_

 _"Y-yes?"_

 _"Since when is you hair blonde?"_

 _She felt her heart stop in her chest._

 _"And since when are your eyes purple?"_

 _Then she felt her heart pounded rapidly._

 _"You..." He slowly walked toward her._ Oh no. No no no! _He towered over her, finally sobering a little from his drunken mess; his eyes were staring down on her coldly. "You're not Tsukino."_

 _He grabbed her neck as fast as lightning and she gasped. "How dare you pretend to be her. Where is she? Where is Tsukino?" She clawed at his hands, trying to free her neck from his grip. But a small six-year-old was powerless against an adult man._

 _"No... please... father-"_

 _"Don't call me father! I'm your brother!" he shouted into her face. She cowered a little in fear._

 _Jiraia then stared at her with wide, shocked eyes. "Tsukino? Is that you Tsukino?" She could felt the grip on her neck loosened. "No... No you're not..." The grip on her neck tightened again. "But you look like her." The grip loosened. "But she's dead." It tightened again._

 _She was suffocating. With all the remaining strength she had, she sunk her nails into his wrists. She finally let go of her and she fell to the ground, coughing. "How could you do that?" he said; not in anger but more in disbelief._

 _Jiraia cocked his head to the side and stared at her as she edged away from him. "Will you be my Tsukino?"_

 _She realized she had to defend for herself. She had to try to snap him out of it. "Father... I am not Tsukino-san..."_

 _"What?"_

 _"I am your adopted daughter. My name is Tsukuyo. You adopt me with Hinowa-nee-san, remember?"_

 _"You mean you're not Tsukino? Then where is she?"_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"She's gone."_

 _"What?"_

 _"She has already dead. You told me yourself."_

 _"Dead? Tsukino?" Jiraia looked like he had just been struck by lightning. A few minutes passed and he stayed like that. She thought she had finally snapped him out of it. But then he turned to her with cold expression. "What are you talking about? You're right in front of me, Tsukino."_

 _She shuddered ad got to her feet. She ran away as fast as her little feet could get her, but Jiraia grabbed her easily like a cat catching a mouse. "Where are you going? Why are you trying to leave me?" He turned her around. "WHY?!"_

 _The little girl cried. "Don't cry! All I want was for you to be happy! So then why?! Why do you have to kill yourself?! On your birthday too?! And after I went all the way to buy you that hairband! Why did you leave me?! Did you not like what I did?! Why Tsukino?! WHY?!"_

 _He gripped her shoulders hard and she cried silently. "Do you see this face?! Do you see my face?! Do you see what you've done to me?!" He then grabbed the bottle of vodka and smashed the end of it onto the wall, leaving sharp edges of the glass on it. She watched in horror as he brought the sharp edges to her face. "Maybe you would understand how it feels if your face is damaged like mine."_

 _She let out a scream when the sharp glass pierced the soft skin of her cheeks._

 _"How does it feel? It's hurt isn't it? That's what I feel when you leave me back then."_

 _The glass then pierced her forehead and she screamed in pain. So loudly that he had to grab her mouth._

 _"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"_

 _"You have no right to treat her that way" she vaguely heard a voice said behind her. It was high-pitched. Like a girl's... or a child's... Jiraia let go of her and she fell to the ground. "You are really a bad father, Mr. Spider. Parents should love their children, not abusing them." She felt herself fell into unconsciousness from stinging on her face, and the suffocation. Before she fainted, she could smell a smoke, like something was burning._

 _She was awaken_ _ed_ _later by the intense heat around her. She sat up slowly and looked around her with blurry eyes._

 _Everything's red, orange and yellow._

 _Fire._

 _Everything's on fire._

 _She widened her eyes in shock. Everything was still a bit blurry, but she could recognize her surrounding_ _s_ _. She was still in Jiraia's bedroom, but he was nowhere to be seen. The whole place was dark, but the fire gave enought source of light. She heard a loud grunt and turned to the door. The fire had destroyed the walls around the room and so, she could see what was going on in the hallway from her place. There she saw Jiraia, fighting with something... or someone... But this someone was smaller. Only a little bigger than herself. He was small, like a child. A part of her, who remembered all the things Jiraia gave her and her sister was worried about her adopted father. Another part, the larger part, hoped that he would die at the hand of this person, whoever she or he was._

 _She saw something white, glinting from where the scuffle took place. Was that... knife?_

 _Her thought was cut short when she saw the dark silhouette of the unknown person, stabbed the glinting thing into Jiraia's stomach, until it pierced though his back. Her body trembled in shock at the sight. The man coughed up blood and fell to his knees. The small person, pulled the glinting thing out from Jiraia's stomach. Now that she got a better look at it, she noticed that it was a sword. A long sword that was too big for the small person's size._

 _The stinging on her face still hurt badly. The smoke around her suffocated her. She fell back into lying position. Maybe sleeping like this wasn't so bad. Her eyes were still opened, though her sight were blurry._

 _She heard footsteps, slowly coming closer to her. She looked up and saw a pair of glinting red eyes, staring at her. Her eyes caught a mess of white... gray... or silver? She couldn't really decide._

 _She could see fiery red eyes and silver hair, before slipping back into unconsciousness. She could vaguely felt her body being lifted off the floor and carried away. She could hear a soft whisper in her ears..._

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. I'm going to save you."

 _The voice soothed her jumbled mind._

 _She woke up again in hospital room, with her sister crying beside her. She told her that their house was burnt, and Jiraia was dead. But she had already known the later because she had seen it herself. Without thinking, she told her sister._

 _"Nee-san, I saw someone killing Jiraia. And he saved me."_

* * *

Tsukuyo woke up with a shock. She gasped, her eyes widened, and her mouth opened. She was sweating. Her heart was pounding like she had run a marathon. Seita's quiet snoring beside her calmed her down a little.

She had been repressing that memory to the back of her head, not wanting to remember it. But now that she remembered, she noticed things that she hadn't before. The things Jiraia had said back then. About himself. And about his sister.

And the red eyes...

And the silvery-white hair...

A knock came from the door, startling Tsukuyo. The shoji door was opened, revealing a young man with the same silvery-white hair and fiery red eyes she had seen in her dream. Her eyes widened as she stared at him and she gaped as he called her.

"Wake up sleepy head. Time for warm up."

 **Thank you for all the reviewers. Please leave a comment for this chapter. Your comments will surely give me a boost.** **:)**


	18. Child

Oboro walked around Yoshida villa, which was once used as a dojo for martial arts training. He breathed in the fresh morning air of the countryside and smiled. This place always brought back memories. Not all of them were pleasant, though. He walked around the hallway, remembering how he used to sweep and mop the wooden floor of this building every morning before the others woke up. It was still very early, around 6 in the morning. None of them had woken up but him. Or so he thought.

"Relax your shoulder. Don't be too tense. The first thing about training is to be calm."

"I know that. I'm trying."

"Focus on the target. Just imagine that you are aiming for my head, like you usually did."

"Well, that really helps."

Oboro heard voices from the room that used to be used for Kyudo training. He peeked inside curiously. There in the room, stood Tsukuyo, hair up on high ponytail, wearing hakama, with bow and arrow in her hands. Not far from her sat Gintoki, wearing the same garb as her.

"What are you doing?"

Tsukuyo yelped and turned around to look at Oboro.

"Oh, nii-san! Morning! Tsukuyo wants to learn some martial arts. I'm here to train her."

Oboro raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"I hope you don't mind me using your house for training Oboro-san."

Oboro shook his head. "No, that's fine. This house was once a dojo after all" he said. He then turned to his younger brother. "But really, to learn martial arts during vacation?"

"Well, she asked fot it" Gintoki said, pointing his thumb at Tsukuyo.

"Still, Gintoki" Tsukuyo turned to him "why do you teach me Kyudo? I thought when you said training, you're going to train me in Karate, Judo, Aikido or something like that. You know... One with dangerous moves."

"You think Kyudo is not dangerous?"

"Well, it's only possible to do with bows and arrows. And I can't bring them anywhere I go. I want to learn martial arts so I can defend myself at all time you know."

"Well I learn Kendo and I don't bring a sword anywhere I go, but I can still defend for myself."

"You learn other martial arts other than Kendo" Tsukuyo pointed out.

Gintoki went silent for a while, staring at her. "Your aim."

"What?"

"Your best skill lies in your accurate aim. I've noticed long time ago that you have very sharp eyes. You can throw things right to the target, even from as far as 1 kilometer. And you never miss. Even toward a moving target. Remember all those times you throw things to my head back then?"

Tsukuyo cringed. She hadn't done that for a long time. She remembered she often did it whenever Gintoki pissed her off, or whenever he tried to run away from her whenever she dragged him to the library. "Yes."

"Well, you're pretty good at it. You never missed my head. It's almost like my head is a magnet for everything you throw at me. You could even throw a dictionary right at my head, when I was running away from you, and our distance was like, 3 kilometers. That book weights like 2 kilograms. That's a feat, girl. If you can throw such a heavy thing easily, you're even better in throwing lighter stuffs. You have a good aim. Pair that with a gun or a kunai, and you'll be really deadly."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why a kunai?"

Gintoki shrugged. "Dunno. I just imagined you as a ninja or something like that. For now, I'm just going to teach you archery to hone that skill. But if you want to learn Karate, Judo, or anything like that, I'll teach you later."

Tsukuyo nodded. "Alright."

"Well, try it again."

Tsukuyo readied the bow and arrow in her hand and tried to aim for the target again. She missed the center, but managed to hit the third circle. Oboro blinked in surprise. That was amazing for an amateur. Gintoki was right; she did have good aim. Oboro and Gintoki watched her train for a few minutes more. She did have talent in archery or shooting in general. But it seemed that her mind was distracted this morning. She seemed to be thinking about something.

"That's enough for now" Gintoki said, stopping Tsukuyo's fifteenth try. "Take a rest. We'll continue this later."

She let out a sigh and walked back to put the bow and arrows to their original place. Gintoki came to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You've done well this far so don't worry."

She smiled a little at him. Her eyes still looked a bit troubled though, Oboro noticed.

"Gintoki."

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to his older brother.

"Don't you have band practice?"

Gintoki stared at him silently. Then slowly, his eyes widened and his mouth opened. "Shit, I forgot!"

"I'm sure Kotarou and Shinsuke are getting ready in their rooms right now. You, however haven't taken a bath yet."

"Ah! I'm going! See you later!" the younger Yoshida shouted as he sprinted out of the room.

Tsukuyo chuckled at her boyfriend's antic. She then turned to Oboro. "Band practice?"

"He, Kotarou and Shinsuke have plan to go to Tatsuma's house and practice. Joui will perform at Nobume's birthday." Joui was the name of Gintoki's band.

"Oh I see." She looked at the direction where Gintoki had gone to. Her smile suddenly turned strained.

"Is something wrong?" Oboro asked her.

"What? Uh, no. Nothing's wrong..." She looked down, lost in thought. "It's just..."

"Yes?"

She fell silent for a moment. He waited for her to talk patiently. "Oboro-san?"

"Yes?"

"I want to ask you something" she said, looking up at him seriously.

"What is it?"

"I... you... um... Gintoki... What's Gintoki like when he was young?"

"Huh?" Oboro said, surprised at the question. He thought that, with the way she frowned and squinted her eyes, she would ask something serious.

"Uh... well... you see... I... I'm just curious of how he was or what he did before we met that's all" she explained, stuttering a little.

Oboro raised an eyebrow at her. She hoped she didn't have to explain further. He then looked out one of the windows at the open sky. His eyes was distant, as if reminiscing something that had happened long ago.

"How was he, huh? Well not much different from now. Prideful, brash, sassy. But also caring, sincere, and independent." Oboro smiled fondly. "He was brilliant, but too lazy to study. He's only interested whenever we trained sword fighting. He always spent time sparring with our father. Of course he always lost. But he never gave up. And I always had to patch him up after their sparring."

 _~~*Flash Back*~~_

 _Oboro was sitting outside of the training room, looking out at the pond with the sound of shinai hitting each other in the background. He could hear voices from the inside._

 _"Is that enough? You can barely stand, you know."_

 _"Ugh! No! One more time!"_

 _The sound continued for another few minutes until he heard a hard sound followed by a shriek. He waited patiently until everything's silent. After a long few seconds, he heard the shoji door opened behind him. The white-haired boy turned around to see a younger silver-haired boy, with a beaten up body._

 _"Where's Dad?"_

 _"Go to train the others in the next room."_

 _"Wait here" the older boy said as he got up wordlessly. He walked away from the younger boy, before coming back with a first aid kit in hand. He was always there to patch his younger brother whenever he was injured or beaten up. He patted the place in front of him, telling the other wordlessly to sit. The younger boy sat in front of his brother, as the other opened the box and pulled out a bottle of alcohol._

 _"You really don't know how to give up, huh Gintoki?"_

 _"Of course. I would never give up" Gintoki said, cringing when his brother pressed the cotton that had been dipped into alcohol to his bruised cheek._

 _"You will never get to Dad's level, you know."_

 _"I don't want to be at his level." The silver-haired boy balled his hands into fist. "I want to be stronger than him."_

 _Oboro blinked in surprise at Gintoki's determination. Of all the five siblings, the two of them knew each other the longest because they were the first two kids that Shouyou adopted. He knew that among the five of them, this younger brother of his had the most potential to reach their father, or even surpass him. He was usually so lazy and lethargic. The older boy thought that he kept challenging their father because of his wounded pride. But it seemed that this unmotivated kid had a goal after all._

 _He smiled fondly at the younger boy, before snorting to hide it. "Start doing your chores and attend class instead of skipping or taking a nap before you make a big talk."_

 _Gintoki waved his hand, as if dismissing it. "Nah. Being the good, diligent, and obedient child is your job and Kotarou's. My job is to be the naughty, playful and carefree child."_

 _"You and Shinsuke."_

 _"Sure. But where does that put Nobume then?"_

 _"I don't know. She's in between. Though she's more like you and Shinsuke" the older brother replied._

 _He spent a few minutes patching him up and bandaging his arms. "Done. Now you can go." He then looked up to find the younger boy asleep. He blinked and then sighed._ He did it again. _Until today, he still wondered about Gintoki's ability to sleep at anytime and anywhere he wanted. He said it came naturally to him, but the older boy couldn't believe it._

 _Oboro huffed. He smiled fondly before proceed_ _ing_ _to carry the smaller boy on his back. He walked toward the room the five siblings shared together. Gintoki wrapped his arms around his neck unconsciously._

 _"I want... to get stronger... to... protect you... and everyone..." the smaller boy mumbled in his sleep._

 _The taller boy stopped in surprise for a while, before continuing his walk. Gintoki was sound asleep, even drooling on his shoulder. But he could handle it for now._

 _~~*End of Flash Back*~~_

Oboro smiled at the distance. "All I have to say is, he's a good kid" he said resolutely.

Tsukuyo blinked and was surprised at his wide smile. The fondness and protectiveness were very palpable on his face. She then smiled along with him. "Yes... you're right... he still is..."

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Oboro then turned to Tsukuyo. "By the way Tsukuyo-san, you said last night that you want to go to Nishikiya."

"Oh, yes. I want to help my sister there. She said, she's going to stay one more night there so I'm going to bring her some change of clothes."

"How about you get ready for now. I will be the one to take you there with the van."

"Is that okay with you?"

"It's alright. I'm planning to go somewhere anyway. I'm going to drop you, then go to that place."

Tsukuyo nodded and smiled. "Alright, thank you Oboro-san." She started to walk toward the entrance of the room before stopping in the doorway. "Um, why not use the motorbike?"

"Gintoki's motorcycle is being checked up in Gengai-san's place."

"But then, how are Gintoki and the others going to Tatsuma-kun's house then? They're not going to use the motorbike, aren't they? I mean, there are three of them."

"Tatsuma will pick them with his car." Oboro sighed. "I just hope they let Shinsuke drive this time or they will risk themselves ticketed."

She raised an eyebrow in question. "Why?"

"Because although all of them can drive, Shinsuke is the only one who has driving license."

"But wait..." she paused for a while. "Didn't Gintoki pick Shouyou-san from the airport when I first came to your house?"

Oboro shook his head and Tsukuyo widened in surprise. "Yeah, he does that sometimes. At least he never gets caught" he said lightly, as if he didn't just implied that his brother had regularly violated traffic regulations.

"Oh... okay... I'll be getting ready then." She then walked out of the room.

Oboro felt his cell phone vibrated inside his pocket. Someone was calling.

"Yes?" he said, after picking up the phone.

 _"Everything's ready here Oboro. You want me to go there?"_ a female voice said.

"No, I'll go to your place to pick it up. It'll be too suspicious if you come here with your truck. Thank you Tetsuko."

 _"Anything for you. How's Nobume-chan then?"_

"Dad is planning to take her somewhere to distract her. I'll go to your house to pick you and the materials. That way, she will only assume that you are visiting us. We can start working after Dad take her away."

 _"Okay. Want me to ask my father and brother to help?"_

"No, the two of us is enough for today."

 _"Cocky aren't you? This thing needs a lot of manpower you know."_

"I'm going to need their help tomorrow but not today. Besides, you're already man enough to do the job after all."

Tetsuko snorted. _"Fine then. See you later Control Freak."_

* * *

Tsukuyo walked toward Nishikiya after Oboro had dropped her at the front gate of the shopping district. She entered the store and was immediately greeted by the steward.

"Welcome to Nishikiya. How may I help you?"

"Um, I just want to meet my sister. She was here yesterday. Hoshina Hinowa?"

"Ah, that's right! Hinowa-san! This way please." He ushered her to the third floor of the building, which was the highest part of the shop. It turned out to be a large sewing room with different kinds of equipments and clothing materials. In one corner, was a big working table, and there sat Hinowa and Ikumatsu. Hinowa's eyes brightened when she spotted her sister.

"Tsukuyo!" she waved at her.

Ikumatsu smiled at the girl. "Hello Tsukuyo-san."

Tsukuyo smiled and bowed at the heiress of Nishikiya. "Hello too Ikumatsu-san. Thank you for taking care of my sister last night. Sorry for bothering you."

"Oh, it's nothing really. Yoshida's friends are our friends too. Besides, she's really helpful." Ikumatsu took a sketchbook from the rack and flipped it open. "See here? These are her designs. We spent a whole night working on the dresses and the possible designs. She's a genius."

Tsukuyo looked at the sketches of designs in the book. It was wonderful; simple but opulent. So very like Hinowa. "These designs are great Nee-san. Though I already know long ago that you are great in this."

Hinowa smiled, blushing a little. "Thank you. But it's not really that good. They are just things that I have in my mind."

"No, they're briliant" Ikumatsu said, smiling at the black-haired woman. "My father thought so as well. He said, he never saw such beautiful designs. They're modest, but at the same time, classy. It kinds of like you, Hinowa-san."

Hinowa blushed in embarrassment at the compliment. "You know, my father and I were thinking of hiring you here in Nishikiya as one of our designers." Hinowa and Tsukuyo turned to Ikumatsu, so fast that they could hear the cracking sound of their necks.

"Really?" Hinowa asked in disbelief.

"Of course. A talent like yours is a sin to be wasted. We need someone like you here."

Tsukuyo looked at her sister with a bright smile. Hinowa on the other hand, still looked doubtful.

"So what do you say?" Ikumatsu asked.

"I'll think about it" Hinowa replied.

"Alright then."

"Ikumatsu-sama" the steward called his mistress.

"Yes?"

"A client is on the phone. She wants to talk to you about the wedding dress she asked a few weeks ago."

"Oh, I forgot." Ikumatsu turned to the sisters. "I'm sorry. I have to discuss things with my client. I have to leave you for now."

"That's alright" Hinowa said, smiling at her.

"Tsukuyo-san, are you here until lunch?"

"I guess?" Tsukuyo said, unsure. "I'm here to help you working on the dresses. I guess I will come home in the afternoon."

"Great! Then the three of us will have lunch together." Ikumatsu walked toward the stairs, following her steward. "See you later" she said before walking downstairs.

"She's really nice isn't she?" Hinowa said.

"Yes, she is" Tsukuyo replied before turning to her sister. "She even offered you to work here. In Nishikiya, the most trendy and successful fashion brand in Japan. Oh, Nee-san, you can't not take this job. This is once in a life time. The heiress of Nishikiya herself was the one who ask you."

Hinowa frowned slightly. "But... I don't know Tsukuyo. I am just a simple tailor, and suddenly, I am offered to be one of the designers for Japan's best fashion brand... This is just... so sudden... and it seems so big that I don't know whether I can handle it. If I mess up, it will bring shame to Ikumatsu-san and Matsugorou-san too."

Tsukuyo sighed. One of the things they shared as sisters was they then to think too much about things. "You worry too much, Nee-san. Of course you can. You know, I feel the same way when I become student council president. It feels so overwhelming at first. Many of the students underestimated me because I'm poor and can only afford to go to school by scholarship. But I didn't give up. I proved to them that I deserve that position. That I deserve to be their leader." She put her hands on her older sister's shoulder. "I'm sure you can do it too. I know you are very talented in this... But if you still don't want to do this job, then it is fine. I'm not forcing you to do this."

Hinowa smiled a little. "Yes. I know. Thank you Tsukuyo."

Tsukuyo smiled back at her and then grabbed the bag she had brought with her. "I bring you a change of clothes. You said you wanted to stay here one more night right?"

"Yes. One dress has already finished. Another dress is in the process while the other hasn't been made yet. But I'm pretty sure we can finish it all tomorrow by noon... Well... at least we have to, since Nobume-chan's birthday party starts tomorrow night."

"I see. If you need help just tell me." Tsukuyo took a seat next to her sister as Hinowa flipped around the sketchbook. She still looked distraught.

"Tsukuyo, dear?"

"Yes?"

"Is something wrong?"

"I... no... it's just..." The blonde looked down, lost in thought for a few long seconds. "Nee-san, I... I had a dream last night."

"A dream?"

"About that event back then... about the fire."

Hinowa looked at her sister sadly and put her hand on Tsukuyo's palm. The girl squeezed her hand. "I... think I began to remember something."

"What is it?"

"You remember what I told you back then?"

Hinowa tried to remember what Tsukuyo had said after that incident. _"Nee-san, I saw someone killing Jiraia. And he saved me."_ "You mean about someone killing Jiraia-san during the fire?"

"Yes."

"But you said you can't remember the killer."

"I... I think I remember now..."

Hinowa widened her eyes and her body turned rigid. "Really?"

"It's just a glimpse... But I think I remember... I can't remember before because I also pushed the memory from back then to the back of my head. But last night... when I finally remembered that incident... I think I remember the face of the killer." Tsukuyo bit her lip.

"Tsukuyo?"

"It was... a child."

Hinowa froze, her face lost color. "A child?"

"Yes. Now that I remember, I'm definitely sure it was a child. The size was smaller, the voice was high-pitched. And he..." Tsukuyo tried not think about what she had seen. About the glinting red, and the gleaming silver.

"Wait... you mean to tell me that the person who killed Jiraia-san... was a child?" Hinowa said in disbelief, shaking her head. "It's just... I couldn't..." She felt disoriented and confused. It sounded so absurd, but she knew that Tsukuyo didn't lie to her. She could always tell when her younger sister lied to her. And right now, she didn't.

"There are many young children with expertise in martial arts these days, Nee-san. Like Kagura, Gintoki's cousin for example, a skilled wushu athlete at the age of ten. And if they use it against people..." Tsukuyo stopped there, biting her lower lip.

Hinowa stared at her sister sadly. "But that doesn't mean anything, right?" Tsukuyo slowly turned to her sister in surprise. "He might have killed Jiraia-san. But he saved your life."

Hinowa thought of Shouyou. She had witnessed him killing dozens of people. But he saved her from being raped and possibly killed by Housen. Despite his situation, he called an ambulance to treat her wound. When he killed Housen, he had freed her and her sister from the Yato's clutch. He saved them. For other people, Shouyou might look like a murderer. But for her, he was her savior.

Tsukuyo slowly smiled. "Yes... yes you're right... You're absolutely right. He may be a killer. But for us, he was our savior. He saved me from Jiraia. He saved me, no us, from that psychopath. If he didn't interfere back then, Jiraia might have already skinned my whole face. He saved us. Just like the one who killed Housen did."

Hinowa smiled sadly. "Yes. He saved us too."

"And..." Tsukuyo started. "If you... if you happened to meet him... in person... what would you say?"

"I'll tell him that I thank him for saving my sister."

Tsukuyo smiled the widest smile. The doubt, confusion, distress, and anxiety she had felt before were gone from her heart. "Yes... Of course. You're right." Tsukuyo looked out the window at the open sky, smiling fondly. "After all, he's a good kid."


	19. Preparation

Tsukuyo woke up the next morning. She looked beside her and saw that Seita's futon was empty. She then looked at the clock and saw that it read 8.30. She sat up quickly. _Oh my God! Did I oversleep?!_

She quickly ran out of the room and went to the dining room, only to find it void of people. The only person she saw was Nobume, who was sitting in the corner, munching a donut while reading a magazine. She noticed Tsukuyo standing in the doorway, still with her pajamas and bed hair. "Morning, Tsukuyo-san" she greeted, waving at the older girl.

"Um, good morning Nobume-chan... Where's everyone?"

"Dunno" the blue-haired girl said, shrugging. She looked sour as well. "We had breakfast about fifteen minutes ago. We wanted to wake you up. But you slept so soundly and you did look tired when you came home last night." Tsukuyo remembered that she had come home around 10 at night from Nishikiya. She had helped Hinowa and Ikumatsu preparing for the dresses all day. She had gone straight to bed, not greeting anyone along the way.

"Oh, that's right. There's a breakfast for you there..."

Tsukuyo's stomach growled.

"And I think you really need it right now."

The blonde blushed. "I'm sorry. I never had breakfast this late before."

"Well then eat up. We've had our share so don't worry."

Tsukuyo walked to the dining table and saw a hamburger under a food cover. "Who made this?"

"Kota-nii. It's his turn to cook this time."

Tsukuyo sat down and started to eat. It tasted delicious though not as good as Shouyou's or Gintoki's cooking. Every member of this family sure could cook well. She ate in silence and glance at Nobume once in a while. The blue-haired girl seemed to be in a sour mood. She remembered that today was her birthday and smiled. She didn't know what's hitting her.

Meanwhile, Nobume was frowning, eating her donuts a little savagely. Today was her birthday and no one was here to celebrate it with her. She huffed indignantly. It seemed that not only Shinsuke who forgot about her birthday.

Tsukuyo finished eating the hamburger and took the plate to put it to the sink. But she noticed a small piece of paper under the plate and blinked. She glanced at Nobume to make sure she didn't notice, before opening it and reading the content.

 _Good morning Tsukuyo-san. I hope you enjoy the hamburger I made for you. We need to ask for your help. We are preparing for Nobume's birthday party somewhere in the house. But first, we need to make sure she is away from here. Can you take her somewhere? Maybe ask her to accompany you in picking Hinowa-san? We need you to distract her while we work. We count on you._

Tsukuyo smiled. So they were preparing for the party after all. But then she frowned as she remembered she had to distract Nobume and bring her out of the house. "Um, Nobume-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Are you... are you busy right now?"

"No. Not really. Why?"

"You want to go shopping with me? To the shopping district we went back then? We can pick my sister along the way."

Nobume blinked at her. Tsukuyo knew that it sounded weird even to her. She was not one for shopping. She didn't have a lot of money to begin with. Oh, she hoped the younger girl wouldn't be suspicious.

Surprisingly, Nobume nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."

"You want to?" Tsukuyo asked, surprised.

"Sure, why not?" _It's better than staying here sulking._

"Oh... Okay then... but let me take a bath and change first" Tsukuyo said, glancing down at her appearance. "It won't take long. I promise."

"Don't worry. I'll be waiting for you."

Tsukuyo then ran back to her room to prepare while Nobume stayed back, still munching a donut. _I never go shopping with a sister or a mother before. Well sure, I did go shopping often with Kagura and Aunty Kouka, but that's different. How it feels like I wonder._

* * *

Tsukuyo and Nobume walked out of the gate. They mounted Gintoki's motorcycle and Nobume drove them away from the house. Six pairs of eyes were watching the two girls as they drove away, from behind the pillars.

"Nobume-san and Tsukuyo-nee have gone!"

"Good job Seita. Now is the time to put our plan in motion."

Seita watched in amazement as the five Yoshida men got out their phone and started dialing.

"Hello, Kouka? Tell your family to get ready quickly" Shouyou said.

"Hello, Tetsuko? Is everything ready? Your father and brother are coming too? Good!" Oboro said.

"Hello, Ikumatsu-senpai? Are the dresses ready? The catering? Alright" Kotarou nodded.

"Hei, Tatsuma, it's time. Come here asap. Of course with our instruments. Don't you laugh asshole" Shinsuke said, growling a little.

"Granny, today is the day. No, she's not here, Tsukuyo takes her away... Of course. Don't forget to tell Catherine and Tama. And don't forget the booze... Yes, I know I can't drink yet. It's not for me dammit" Gintoki said in a lazy drawl.

Seita watched in confusions as the men kept making phone calls after another. "I want to call someone too!"

"No, you don't have to do anything kid. Just wait until we're finished" Shinsuke said, still fumbling with his phone.

Gintoki looked at the list of guests and turned to his father. "So just who are we inviting again?"

"Well, your aunt's family, Otose-san and the whole snack house, Sasaki-san and his family, Matsudaira-san and the whole Shinsengumi academy, Sakamoto family, Nishiki family, the Muratas, Gengai-san, Tokugawa Shige-Shige-san and his family, the Yagyuus, the Shimuras, Some staffs, teachers and lecturers from our schools and..."

"Pretty much everyone?"

Shouyou chuckled. "Yes, pretty much everyone."

"Well, no worries about that. Our house is big enough to fit everyone" Gintoki said, looking around the building. "This is going to be a big party."

"And..."

"And what?" Gintoki asked, turning to his father.

"Actually, I was thinking of inviting Jennifer here."

Gintoki's eyes bulged. "No, seriously Dad! You can't do that!"

"Oh, come on. Why don't you guys like her?"

"Oh, there're many reasons for it. Should I name one by one?"

"Look, she met me two days ago so she knew that we were here. If I didn't invite her, it'll be rude."

"No one said you should be polite" Gintoki mumbled.

"Gintoki..." Shouyou said in a warning tone.

Gintoki pouted and looked away. "This is Nobume's birthday. It's supposed to be her happy day, and trust me, she's not going to be happy seeing that mannequin at her party."

Shouyou sighed and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Look, I know the five of you don't get along with Jennifer, but just give her a chance. I know that she can be a little haughty-"

"A little?"

"My point is, she's my coworker and we are discussing some important business at the time. So I beg you, and not only you but the five of you, to bear her for a while."

Shouyou got out his phone again and started dialing, as Gintoki glanced at him. "Well that really kills the joy."

* * *

Tsukuyo stood with Nobume among the crowd of people walking by the district. They had arrived here and she didn't know what to do.

"So... where do you want to go?" Nobume asked.

 _Where? Um , well, I haven't think about it._ "Anything you want to go Nobume-chan."

Nobume raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you already have some place in mind since you're the one who asked me to go with you."

"Um... uh... I actually haven't had any plan to buy anything."

"Then why do you want to come here?"

Tsukuyo looked nervous. "I just want an excuse to spend time with you, that's all."

Nobume blinked in surprise at her words. Tsukuyo still looked away in nervousness and embarassment. Slowly, a wide smile appeared on the blue-haired girl's face. "Well, I want to go buy some donuts, and maybe some breads. You want to come?"

Tsukuyo smiled at her, a bit amused. Somehow, she had already guessed that Nobume would want to buy donuts. "Sure." The two girls then walked inside a bakery. Nobume made a bee line toward the donuts aisle. She stared at them hungrily, Tsukuyo could almost see her drooling.

"You really like donuts, Nobume-chan."

Nobume nodded. "That was the first food my father gave to me when we first met... and the first delicious food the I've ever tasted..." The girl smiled fondly and Tsukuyo smiled along with her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He was coaxing me to talk when he visited the..." She suddenly stopped in her track, not wanting to continue.

"Nobume-chan?"

The younger girl shook her head. "No it's nothing. Just forget about it. I said too much."

Tsukuyo looked down sadly. "I know that it will take a long time for you to trust me."

"No, it's not... we... I..."

"It's alright" Tsukuyo said as she put her hand on Nobume's shoulder. "I know that you will tell me when you're ready. Gintoki never told me anything either. Not much anyway. But I am fine waiting. I am also fine not knowing forever." She thought of what she saw during the fire, during Jiraia's murder. "I will always love him no matter what happened to him in the past."

Nobume smiled at her. "You're really kind, Tsukuyo-san." She looked down and mumbled quietly. "You are just like her. Maybe that's why he falls in love with you."

Her words were nothing but whispers, but Tsukuyo could catch what she said. "Wait, who're you talking about?"

Nobume looked as if she had said something she shouldn't. "No, nothing." She suddenly got up. "I guess I'm not hungry after all. Let's buy donuts some other time." She walked briskly toward the door as Tsukuyo followed her.

"Um, Nobume-chan?" Tsukuyo called out to the girl who walked a bit far ahead of her.

"Yes?"

"You said just now that I was like someone. Who is she?"

"Oh... No one... Just someone we know." Nobume quickened her steps.

Tsukuyo pondered. _Who was Nobume's talking about? She said I am just like someone she knew. And then she said Gintoki may fall for me because of it. What's that mean?_

 **This chapter is a bit short. I'll try to make it longer next time so please don't give up on me.**


	20. Girls Time

Tsukuyo and Nobume walked toward Nishikiya to pick Hinowa. The steward was there immediately to greet them like he usually did. "Welcome to Nishikiya. How may I-"

"We get that, Ken-chan. We just want to meet Hinowa-san. Is she here?"

"Of course Nobume-sama. Please wait here. I will call her."

As the steward went, Tsukuyo turned to Nobume questioningly. "Ken-chan?"

"His name is Kenichi."

"Ah..." Tsukuyo nodded in understanding. She had interacted with the steward for a few times and still didn't know his name. So his name was Kenichi.

Kenichi came back with Hinowa.

"Nee-san!"

"Tsukuyo, Nobume-san, thank you for picking me up."

"Where's Ikumatsu-san?" Nobume asked Kenichi.

"Ikumatsu-sama is not here at the moment. She is in the main house with Matsugorou-sama."

"Hmm..." Nobume nodded. The three women went out of Nishikiya and started walking aimlessly around the shopping district.

"What exactly did Dad ask you to do, Hinowa-san?"

"Oh, it's nothing. He just asked me to make some new business suits for him that's all" Hinowa said, sweating a little.

"I see. Well, let's go home."

"Wait, go home?" Tsukuyo asked.

"Yes. What else can we do here?"

"Um, you see..."

"How about the three of us have lunch together" Hinowa said suddenly. "Have you ever have a girl outing, Nobume-chan?"

Nobume blinked. "I often accompany Kagura and Soyo shopping. But Kamui and Sougo are also there so that doesn't count. Sometimes, I also go shopping with Aunty Kouka, but that's it I guess."

Hinowa smiled. "Then why not start now? With me and Tsukuyo. Just us girls."

Nobume seemed to think about it when Tsukuyo looked at Hinowa questioningly. Hinowa winked at her. "Sure... Why not?" Nobume said suddenly.

Hinowa grinned. "Then first, how about we go for lunch?"

Tsukuyo and Nobume agreed. The three women then set out to search for a place to have lunch. "Alright, so where do you want to go?" Nobume asked the two older women.

"Anywhere you want to go Nobume-chan" Hinowa said.

"Well..." Nobume picked for them a classy Spanish restaurant. Hinowa and Tsukuyo looked at each other in worry. They glanced at the prices of the food. They couldn't afford that much.

"So what do you want? I want to order Gazpacho soup and Vanilla Milkshake" Nobume said as she looked through the menu. The waitress wrote down her order.

"I'll take Black Coffe."

"I'm the same."

"What about the food?" The sisters looked at each other in nervousness. Nobume widened her eyes as if she had just remembered something. _Oh my God! I've done something terrible._

"Miss?" the waitress asked again.

"Please cancel the Gazpacho. We'll order Paella instead."

"Vegetable or Seafood?"the waitress asked.

"Which one do you want?" Nobume asked Tsukuyo and Hinowa.

"Eh? What?" Tsukuyo stuttered.

"Do you want the Paella to be vegetable or seafood?"

"Um, which one is cheaper?"

"I'll pay so don't worry about the price" Nobume said.

"Oh, we can't let you do that Nobume-chan!" Hinowa said in surprise. "Shouyou-san will-"

"Dad will be okay with this. And Gin-nii too" she added when Tsukuyo opened her mouth. "In fact, I'm sure they want me to treat our guests with the best hospitality." She then turned to the waitress. "We pick seafood." She wrote it down, bowed at them and went back to the kitchen.

Seeing Tsukuyo and Hinowa still looked down in shame, she said "Now, don't feel guilty about it. I do this lots of time. I, Sougo and Kamui always take turns in treating the group when we go to restaurants." She then smiled widely. "And beside, you provide me with lots of donuts before. That's enough. I expect more donuts in the future. You can pay me back with that." They smiled at the birthday girl.

"Of course. I'll make you some more" Hinowa said, chuckling a little.

"Ah! But you only order one dish" Tsukuyo said.

"That dish is enough for the three of us. You'll see how big it is later." She then went quiet. "Do you know Paella?"

"It's a rice dish from Spain, that much I know. But I never try one" Tsukuyo said.

"Well, you'll try."

Their drinks came first. The Black Coffe ordered by Tsukuyo and Hinowa came with desserts. Nobume was sipping her milkshake when she caught the desserts on the table.

"Are those-"

"Churro. A kind of pastry that are popular in Spain and Mexico. It comes with my Black Coffe. Nee-san have them too" Tsukuyo replied. She then looked up at Nobume to see the younger girl drooling. She sweatdropped, before chuckling in amusement. This girl reminded her of Kagura to a degree.

"You want it, Nobume-chan?"

"What? Ah, no it's yours. I can't-"

"That's alright. I don't really like sweets."

Nobume gasped as if she had heard something so absurd. "You don't like sweets? Even though you're Gin-nii's girlfriend? How can that be? Okay, so yes it can happen. But still... it's such a shame!"

Tsukuyo felt that she was supposed to sweatdrop, but she found herself giggling instead. _She really is Gintoki's younger sister._

"Have you tried the Churro?" Nobume asked her. The blonde shook her head. "Then try some. Now."

Nobume picked one of the long pastries and brought it near Tsukuyo's mouth. "Come on, try it."

Tsukuyo hesitated for a moment. "Um... Okay..." She bit the end of the long stick and started munching it.

"So? How is it?"

An approving smile slowly crept onto Tsukuyo's face. "It's good."

Nobume smiled. "See?" She then inspected the Churro in her hand. "It's kind of long and thick. And on top of that, it's wrinkly. Doesn't it remind you of something?"

Tsukuyo choked on the food and Hinowa laughed. Tsukuyo grabbed a glass of water and gulped the content down. Her face was deep red. "NOBUME-CHAN! IT'S NOT SOMETHING A LADY SHOULD SAY!"

Nobume just shrugged and smiled mischievously. "It's not like I say it outright. How do you know what I was thinking? You just have a dirty mind, Tsukuyo-san."

Hinowa giggled and Tsukuyo sighed. _Yes, she really is Gintoki's younger sister._

"Do you still want them now that you know you like it?" the blue-haired girl said, pointing to the Churros.

"I think no, thanks to you. You can have it." Nobume took the plate of Churro happily.

"Here, I'll give you mine too" Hinowa said, pushing her plate toward Nobume.

"Really, Hinowa-san?"

"Sure. If you like it so much, I'll give it to you. I don't really like sweet things as well." She then took Hinowa's Churros as well. "So what? Are you a fan of sour-flavored food? Like Shin-nii?"

"Shinsuke-kun like sour food?" Tsukuyo asked curiously.

Nobume shrugged. "He has an obsession with Yakult. I and Gin-nii have told him, dozens of time, that it won't make him get any taller. If he wants to get taller, he should drink more milk" she explained in between munching the Churros.

"Oh, you have some crumbs around your mouth Nobume-chan." Hinowa took a tissue and cleaned the crumbs on Nobume's face with it. "Now, that's better."

Nobume suddenly froze and Hinowa frowned. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"Is this how it feels like to spend time with an older sister and a mother?"

Tsukuyo and Hinowa widened their eyes. They realized it now. Nobume had spent most of her life in the family without an older female figure. Except maybe her aunt. But she couldn't always be there for her as she had her own family and her own daughter to take care of. Even though Nobume seemed to grow up fine, they were sure she must crave for the feelings, even just a little.

Hinowa smiled and caressed Nobume's hair. "I'm not so sure. I don't really remember my mother and I never had an older sister. But maybe the feelings the same."

Nobume smiled a little. "I have to admit that this feels nice."

Tsukuyo smiled at the younger girl. "I told you before right? If you need female company, you can always come to both of us."

"Can I see you two as my mother and older sister?" Nobume asked them.

"We would like to be your sister and mother" Hinowa said in a motherly tone. Tsukuyo and Nobume looked at her and blinked. Hinowa realized what she had said and the implication. "I mean, I'd like to be your mother figure! Not your mother, of course not. Because that means I have to marry Shouyou-san... which is not possible... I-I mean-"

"Ladies" the waitress from before came back. "This is the Paella you ordered."

Hinowa sighed in relief for the interruption as Tsukuyo and Nobume turned their attention to the Paella which was put on the table.

"It's a lot!" Tsukuyo exclaimed

"Told you so."

"I've heard about Paella and seen it in the picture, but this is the first time I actually eat it."

"It's for family meal after all. Let's dig in."

The three women started to eat in comfortable silence. "Well, about a mother..." Nobume started, garnering the sisters' attention. "I don't think I'll get one soon."

"Why?" Tsukuyo asked

"Well first, it's hard to find someone who wants to marry a man with five grown kids."

Hinowa blinked. "But I'm sure Shouyou-san has some admirers. I mean he is nice, kind and gentle. He's a good father so he can be a good husband. He's caring, understanding, friendly, polite. With a wonderful smile and strong physic..." she trailed off, not continuing, her eyes in a daze. _Yes, he would be a fine husband._

Hinowa slowly looked up to see Tsukuyo and Nobume. The two girls were gaping at her, and the full extent of her words finally dawned on her. "I'm sorry! I don't mean... I mean he's really nice and all. I'm sure many women find him attractive."

Nobume shrugged. "Okay, so some women actually _do_ want to marry our father. But Dad doesn't seem to be interested in getting married. There are some persistent ones of course."

"Like Jennifer-san?" Hinowa asked. Tsukuyo raised an eyebrow. She remembered that Gintoki had mentioned about a woman named Jennifer Sanders chasing after his father before. But she never told Hinowa about it, so how her sister came to know was beyond her.

Nobume scrunched her nose. "Oh, I hate her" she said in contempt. Tsukuyo and Hinowa were surprised at the strong word. "All of us do. Dad knows about it, but because they are working on important business deal right now, there's nothing we can do about it. Well, the advisors at least won't let the deal fail." She snorted. "She likes our father. But clearly, she's not the best mother material we have found. She wants our father, but she doesn't want us. Thank goodness that Dad isn't really interested in that mannequin."

"Gintoki also called her mannequin back then. What's that mean?"

"Oh, that. It's a joke we made about her. She would go to any length to make her skin as fair as possible, even getting that special injection to make her skin paler. Can you believe it? And then she loves to dress in fashionable clothes, and whenever she walks or moves, it's almost like she's posing for a camera. If she has to stay put, she does it in the prettiest pose. Like a mannequin. See?"

"Oh..."

"And then there's the fact that she also poses for the camera sometimes." Seeing Hinowa and Tsukuyo's confused expression, she explained "She's a model for a magazine in Australia." The sisters nodded. "She owns the biggest magazine company in Australia and she also becomes a model for her own magazine. The advisors want her to advertise our school in her magazine. Gintama school has just built a branch school in Australia two months ago so it's fairly new there."

"I see." Tsukuyo nodded.

Nobume sighed and leaned on the backrest. "I do want a mother. But I rather be orphan than have Jennifer as my mother. She's mean. And I'm sure all of my brothers feel the same."

"Then what kind of person you want to be your mother?" Hinowa asked.

"I don't mind someone like you being our mother, Hinowa-san. You're really kind."

* * *

In Yoshida Villa, half of the guests had arrived to help with the preparation. The Muratas were building a big stage in the middle of the backyard.

"Tetsuko! Cut this log here!"

"Yes father!"

"Tetsuya, are the pillars ready?"

"SURE IT IS!"

Tetsuko was sawing a log of wood as one of the foundations. The saw scratched her finger and she hissed. A hand suddenly extended a plaster to her. "For a carpenter, you are always sucks at this."

Tetsuko frowned at Oboro and took the plaster. "Well sorry for not being able to saw. My feminine arms won't let me do it right."

"There are so little feminine aspects in you. Here, let me do it" Oboro said, taking the saw from her.

"O...kay?" She watched as he began to saw in her place. "Well, aren't you a dependable man."

"I get that a lot. Don't get me wrong. I do this so we can be right on schedule."

Tetsuko snorted and shook her head. "Control Freak."

"Manly Lady."

"TETSUKO, STOP BOTHERING YOUR BOYFRIEND AND HELP US HERE!"

"He's not my boyfriend, Nii-san! See you later." She walked away from Oboro and went to help her father and brother.

In another corner, the women were preparing for the food. "I will not doubt your cooking at all Otose-san" Shouyou said as he tried her chicken soup. "Nobume would like this."

Otose shook her head and smiled. "Oh no, she's going to love that" she said as she pointed to the tower of donuts at the far corner of the food table. It was stacked in a form of pyramid, with sixteen candles on it.

Gintoki whistled. "Oh yes, she's going to LOVE it. A tower of donuts as a birthday cake, ordered straight from Mr. Donuts. In fact, it's not only her who is attracted to this."

"Watch it Gintoki. Don't you touch that tower. It's for your sister" Shouyou warned. Gintoki pouted.

"And don't forget the ramen" Kotarou said as he sat in the corner, eating a bowl of ramen. "Ikumatsu-senpai's cooking is awesome."

"The ramen is only for you! And of course she's a good cook. She's a student in Culinary Arts department."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Gintoki-kun" Ikumatsu said as she came out of the kitchen.

"Though personally, I prefer soba over ramen" Kotarou commented.

A vein popped on Ikumatsu's face, though she's still smiling. "Well forgive me for only being able to make ramen for now. I'll make sure to learn how to make soba next time."

"Yes, please do" Kotarou said, causing another vein to appear on her face. Gintoki shook his head at his brother's stupidity.

"But I am sure that Kotarou likes everything that Ikumatsu-san makes, no matter what dish it is. Right Kotarou?" Shouyou said.

Kotarou blinked. "Yes... I guess." Ikumatsu looked down and blushed. Gintoki smirked and Shouyou chuckled

Otose smiled and started a conversation with the blonde young woman. "I heard that you offered Hinowa to work in your company. Is that true?" Otose asked Ikumatsu.

"Oh, that's right. She's a good tailor and designer. I feel like our company needs someone like her. She's very creative."

Shouyou smiled brightly at this. "Really? That's good. I think she really is creative." _She has a chance to have a better job, and a better life_. "And what did she say?"

"She hasn't answered yet" Ikumatsu said, surprising everyone.

"Wow... most people will take the opportunity right away" Gintoki commented.

"Maybe she has other things to consider" Kotarou said.

"Such as?"

"Well..."

"Whatever it is, it's her choice" Otose said, ending the conversation. Shouyou went quiet, lost in thought.

"Gintoki! Kotarou!" Shinsuke called them from the grassy yard where he stood with Tatsuma. He already had his guitar in hand while Tatsuma sat behind the set of drums. "Let's practice the songs again!"

"Well, that's our cue. See you later" Gintoki said as he walked toward the two.

"Wait! Let me finish this first!" Kotarou said, speeding up his eating.

"Careful! You're going to choke like that" Ikumatsu warned him. And just like she said, he choked, and she quickly went to get him a glass of water.

Meanwhile, Tatsuma bumped his shoulder to Shinsuke's. "Soooo... you're going to sing her that song, right?"

Shinsuke froze. "Well... I guess..."

"Are you trying to confess Shinsuke? In front of many people?"

Shinsuke blushed and shoved his friend away. "Shut up! If you keep saying those things, my feelings won't be a secret anymore." He then stood still on his spot. "I just want to pour my feelings into something productive. Having this feeling hidden for so long is very hard you know. I need to let it out sometimes."

Tatsuma smiled. "Well, it's good that you have an outlet for it then. And who knows, she might catch the hidden meaning of that song." He sighed dreamily. "I can't believe I see the day when our little Shinsuke is writing a love song for a girl."

Shinsuke growled at him, with the lightest blush painting his cheeks.

* * *

Tsukuyo, Nobume and Hinowa spent more time together just walking around the shopping district and visited some shops without actually buying anything. They chatted and laughed with each other, enjoying their time. Spending time with Tsukuyo and Hinowa made Nobume forget about her sadness for having no one remember her birthday. At least walking around with other female companies like this felt nice. The three stopped by to get some ice cream. They chose a spot near the bridge to sit and chat. Tsukuyo remembered that this was a place she had gone to when she ran away from Gintoki and Sharon. They sat at the small bench there, continuing their talk.

"So what do you want to do after High School then Tsukuyo-san?"

Tsukuyo froze. "I'm... not so sure."

"Well your scholarship applies until college, so just pick a major and continue to our University."

Tsukuyo nodded at Nobume. "Thank you Nobume-chan. Do you have any idea where do you want to go after High School?"

"I want to enter Mimawarigumi Military Academy." Tsukuyo and Hinowa gasped in surprise.

"You don't want to continue to college? Why?"

"It's not my stuff I guess."

"But why military academy?" Hinowa asked.

Nobume smiled. "Believe it or not, I like fighting. And I want to be useful for the society. So I think why not. If I can kick people's ass while protecting the civilians, isn't that good?" She stopped talking to lick her ice cream before explaining. "Mimawarigumi Academy, just like its rival, Shinsengumi Academy, is a prestigious military academy in Japan. Both schools are named after police organizations in Edo period, and both have their own special police units in Japan's police agency under Matsudaira Katakuriko. All who graduate from the academy will automatically get into the police unit."

"But I heard the selection is very hard" Tsukuyo said.

"I'm sure I can handle it. I've been through worse."

"But isn't Mimawarigumi is only for males?"

"No, of course not. Females can apply for it as well. It's just that because Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi are so prestigious and the selection is very strict, most people think that females can't be accepted." Nobume balled her hand into fist. "I'll be the first!"

"Why not Shinsengumi then?" Hinowa asked.

"I want to work with Uncle Isaburo" Nobume replied, licking her ice cream.

Tsukuyo looked at the younger girl in amazement. Even Nobume, who was younger than her, had already knew where she would be heading. She on the other hand, still had no idea what to do after High School. Would she be alright? _Calm down Tsukuyo. Gintoki hasn't decided either._

"Well" Hinowa put her hand on her younger sister's "There is still time to decide, right?" Hinowa's smile calmed her worry a little.

Nobume watched the two of them. "Tsukuyo-san? Hinowa-san?"

"Yes?" they replied in unison.

"You are sisters like? Siblings."

"Yes, that's right."

"Have you ever felt... weird toward each other?"

They blinked in confusion and looked at one another. "Weird, like what?" Hinowa asked.

"Like... your heart suddenly beat faster when you're near or when you touch each other... you suddenly feel uncomfortable seeing them with someone else or being touched by others... you suddenly feel awkward just being alone together... and when being helped or protected by them, you feel happy..." Nobume trailed off. "That kind of feeling... Toward your sibling..."

Tsukuyo and Hinowa blinked. They processed what Nobume had said. Tsukuyo was the first to talk. "It sounds like you are describing a lover, not a sibling, Nobume-chan."

"Eh?" Nobume looked up in shock.

"Well, your description... it sounds like romantic love someone feels for another person" Hinowa explained. "Not a platonic or familial bond you usually have for a sibling."

Nobume gaped. She looked as though she had been given the biggest shock of her life. "Romantic... love..."

Tsukuyo and Hinowa's eyes widened. "Nobume-chan, could it be you-"

"It's getting late." Nobume suddenly got up and threw her empty cone into the trash can. "Let's go home." She smiled and walked away not waiting for the sisters, not wanting to see their knowing eyes.


	21. Surprise Party

At around 6 p.m., Tsukuyo, Nobume and Hinowa finally went back to Yoshida Villa. The house was completely dark when they arrived. It's almost like no one was there.

"Where's everyone? Why is it so dark?" Nobume wondered.

Tsukuyo felt her phone vibrated in her pocket. She opened it and read the message from Gintoki.

 _"Bring her to the backyard."_

"Let's go see whether they're in the backyard" Tsukuyo said. She led the way as Nobume and Hinowa followed her. She stopped in front of the door. "I think you should open it, Nobume-chan."

"Me?" Nobume asked in confusion. Tsukuyo nodded. The younger girl looked at her in confusion. She then felt Hinowa pushed her from behind.

"Come on, Nobume-chan" the woman said.

Nobume walked to the door and slowly opened the shoji door, only for the darkness around her to be replaced by blinding light.

"SURPRISE!"

A loud cheer came with the light. She adjusted her eyes to the brightness and saw all of her friends and family there, with a smile on their faces. The backyard had been transformed into a large party ground. There was a large stage in the middle, tables and chairs scattered around, balloons and neon lights around the place. Everything was full with colors.

"You... you guys..." Nobume's face turned from sad, to happy, then to anger. She looked at her father and brothers, then to Tsukuyo and Hinowa. "You did this all on purpose."

"What? Are you mad?" Gintoki asked.

"Yes, I'm mad!" Nobume said, fuming. "I thought you forgot about my birthday. I was so sad before and now..."

"And now you're not sad anymore?" Kotarou asked her.

Her face turned red and she looked away, puffing her cheeks. Everyone laughed at her reaction. "Well, don't blame us. It was Shinsuke's idea" Oboro said.

Nobume turned sharply to Shinsuke, who pointedly was looking away from her.

"That's right. Shinsuke was the one who suggested this. He told us about this long before summer vacation started" Shouyou said, ruffling Shinsuke's hair. "He said we had to make this one special since this is your sixteenth birthday."

Nobume couldn't help but stare at him. Shinsuke glanced at her and looked away, blushing. _He remembered. He remembered my birthday even weeks before._ There was a pleasant flutter in her stomach and she suddenly felt so light. A big and honest smile appeared on her face. She ran to her father and hugged him.

"THANK YOU!"

Shouyou careesed her hair and smiled. She then proceeded to hug her brothers one by one. When it came to Shinsuke, she froze. He didn't make any move to hug her either. Everyone was watching them, waiting for her to hug him as well. But a few seconds passed and they started to stare in confusion, questioning what's going on. Tired of the others staring at them and not wanting them to be suspicious, Shinsuke moved and pulled Nobume into his arms. When their bodies pressed against each other, she could feel his heartbeat, which was as erratic as hers. Their heart beat in unison, as if one. It lasted for about two seconds, but it felt like such a long time. He let go of her and started moving away from her. Her body suddenly felt cold.

"And here's the most important part, Nobume" she heard her father said. Everyone started singing happy birthday as Otose walked out from the kitchen, bringing a tower of donuts with sixteen candles on it on a food cart. She looked at the cake, astonished.

"Th-that's... to-tower... donuts... It's a tower of donuts! For me?!"

"Of course it's for you" Shouyou said, chuckling.

Otose stopped in front of her and everyone stopped singing. The old lady smiled at the girl. "Happy birthday girl. Here's your cake. Time to blow the candles." Nobume stood readily in front of the tower and closed her eyes. Everyone waited as she blew all the sixteen candles. After all the fire's gone, they cheered.

"Why not give one donut to your family?" Otose said.

"Yes, I will." She started taking five donuts from the tower and gave them to her father and brothers, even feeding them herself.

"Thanks. Though I wish I got more than one donut" Gintoki commented, which earned him a pinch from Tsukuyo. Everyone laughed.

"Nobu-chan!"

"Nobume-san!"

Nobume turned to see Kagura and Soyo running to her. The two younger girls hugged her and wrapped their arms around her waist. "Happy Sixteenth Birthday!" they said in unison.

Nobume smiled at the girls and hugged them back. "Thank you Kagura, Soyo." Sougo and Kamui walked up to them.

"Well, congratulation" Kamui said, with his typical smile.

"Wow, you're sixteen now" Sougo said flatly.

"Yes, I am. Sorry for getting ahead of you." She put her hands on their heads and started ruffling their hair. "Since I'm technically older after all, how about you started calling me Nee-san?"

Kagura and Soyo giggled. Stitch mark appeared on Sougo and Kamui's face. "Don't be cocky just because you're getting older by one year. My birthday is in three months" Sougo said.

"And by the time I am sixteen, I'll be way taller than you" Kamui said.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm the oldest among the three of us. Don't worry. Nee-san will take care of you." The two guys frowned as Kagura and Soyo laughed, sticking their tongues out at the guys, while taking safety under Nobume's arms.

* * *

In another corner, Tsukuyo walked around the place and watched the guests. They really outdid themselves today. She saw many famous people; some were from wealthy or aristocratic family. She heard someone singing and looked at the big stage. There stood Terakado Tsuu, Or Otsu-chan as her fans called her, the idol singer who had reached the top of the music chart. Tsukuyo personally was not a fan of hers. Her lyrics could be a little vulgar. But then again, that maybe what made her so popular.

Tsukuyo spotted Gintoki, conversing with three other people. One she recognized as Hijikata Toushirou, the student from another class, who often fought with Gintoki, but for some reason, hung out with him a lot. Tsukuyo knew they were actually friends, though they always denied it. Another one was Hattori Zenzou, from the famous Hattori family. He was also one of Gintoki's closest friends. He told her that they met when they were fighting over a Jump in the bookstore. The last one was Kondo Isao. He was a student from Shinsengumi Military Academy and was two years older than them. Gintoki never explained how they met each other but for some reason, they were close. She knew some of the people from Gintoki's inner circle. But she still had a vague idea how they came to know each other or what their relationship actually was. Lost in her thought, she didn't see what's in front of her and bumped to someone.

"Hey! Watch where you-"

"I'm sorry" Tsukuyo said as she looked at the person who bumped to her. Her eyes met another purple eyes, framed by red glasses. "Ayame?"

"Tsukki?"

They stared at each other in silence. "You came!" Tsukuyo said.

"But of course! I'm invited!"

"It's nice to see you here. How's your summer?"

"Fine I guess. I spent time with Zenzou and the kids in our neighborhood." Tsukuyo remembered that Ayame and Zenzou were childhood friends and they also lived in the same complex. "What about you? How's your summer?"

"Uh... well... I..."

"Ayame-chan! Tsukuyo-chan!" The two girls looked at a brown-haired girl and a black-haired girl who walked toward them.

"Tae! Kyuubei!"

"Well, look here. The witch is actually here" Ayame said.

"Well, look here. The pig is actually here" Tae replied.

The two girls looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, before laughing it off. Tsukuyo and Kyuubei were not worried about it. It was just Tae and Ayame's way of showing affection. The four of them laughed together.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"You look bigger than before. Do you gain weight?"

"Well, you look thinner."

"How about you?"

"I'm the same as usual."

Tsukuyo smiled in happiness. She missed this moment with her three best friends. When she first entered Gintama School, the first students who offered friendship to her were Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei. They were in different classes, but they always had lunch together and studied in each other's house when they had a chance. And all of them were part of Student Council. Their support was what helped Tsukuyo to become the Student Council President. Tsukuyo really liked them. Sure, Tae was violent, Ayame was perverted, and Kyuubei could be really serious (even more serious than herself). But they were the very first girl friends she ever had, as she had always been bullied by other girls in her old school. So of course, when they pulled her into their circle, she didn't refuse. And their friendship could run all smooth if not only for one problem.

"So how's your summer so far?" Tsukuyo asked Tae.

"Oh, the same as usual. Helping my father and Hajime-nii-san managing our dojo. Attending cooking class." The other three girls sweatdropped. They knew that Tae's cooking was quite dangerous; lethal even. She had attended many cooking classes before, but it still didn't help. "That's right! I think I can make a perfect fried egg this time. You should try it sometimes." Now they visibly sweated.

"Just make sure it's edible this time" Ayame commented.

"Of course it is! It always is!"

"Yeah, right."

"You came here with Shinpachi?" Tsukuyo asked her.

"Yes. There he is." Tae pointed to the front of the stage, where Shinpachi and some other guests were cheering loudly for Otsu.

"How about you Kyuubei?" Tsukuyo said, turning to the black-haired girl.

"I'm the same as Tae-chan. I trained in the dojo and visited my mother's grave with my father and grandfather. How about you, Tsukuyo-san?"

"Oh, it's fine I guess. Going to Tatsuma-kun's family ranch, swimming in the lake, shopping and many others."

"Wait, you're here this summer?" Ayame asked.

"Yes, with my family."

"Where did you stay then?" Kyuubei asked.

Tsukuyo fidgeted a little. "We stay here with Yoshida family in their villa."

"You mean..." Tae trailed off. The other two girls looked surprised as well. "Oh... I see... Gin-san invited you here, didn't he?... He must be very serious with you..."

They fell into uncomfortable silence. Tsukuyo looked down sadly and guiltily. She hadn't wanted to tell them in fear of seeing their reaction.

Tsukuyo, Ayame, Tae and Kyuubei were very close friends with each other. Tsukuyo didn't have many close friends, but she always had a place to sit during lunch, which was with her girl friends. Even though they had different backgrounds and personalities, they got along well with each other, and there was never a serious conflict among them.

But it started to change when the four girls got to know Yoshida Gintoki, the handsome and brilliant delinquent.

Tae knew Gintoki from Shinpachi. She had gotten to know him from the time he came to visit Shinpachi in Kodokan Dojo. She had been rejected by her first love, Obi Hajime, the couch in her family dojo. When she first met Gintoki, she disliked him and bickered with him lots of time. She deemed him unworthy of training her younger brother. But as she got to know him, she started to realize that there were more to the notorious delinquent than he showed, seeing how he interacted with her brother and kids in general, and how much her younger brother respected the guy.

Ayame knew Gintoki from Zenzou. She was blackmailed by other delinquents outside Gintama High and was told to bring Gintoki to them. She had no choice but to do it. Gintoki beat them up easily, and threatened to kill them if they didn't let go of her. He even forgave her for luring him into their trap, and since then, she had fallen madly in love with him.

Kyuubei was in the same Kendo club as Gintoki. She was raised in masculine way so she could become strong enough to lead her clan when she grew up. It caused her to act like a boy and have romantic feelings for another girl, which was Tae, her childhood friend. She also felt uncomfortable around guys and all of them bullied her and considered her as a freak for her masculine behavior and her romantic love for Tae. All of them but Gintoki. He accepted her into Kendo club and made her his vice. He said, he didn't care about her sex or gender; he was willing to be her friend. He was the very first guy she felt comfortable to be around, and slowly became the guy who made her forget about her romantic feeling for Tae.

And Tsukuyo? She and he were classmates and sat next to each other. It was that simple and yet so much more than that. And arguably, she was the one who spent time with him the most. As she got to know him more and more, her feelings for him grew stronger as well.

Everything changed among them when the four of them realized that they liked the same guy. It became very awkward. That was when their rivalry had started. Tsukuyo had obviously won. But it didn't make her feel better. Despite being happy that her feelings for Gintoki were returned, she felt guilty to Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei. Her loyalty to her friends was one of the things that made her hesitate in going out with him. Of course she never told him that.

Their friendship became strained for a while when Tsukuyo and Gintoki started dating. But lately, they started getting close to each other again. Tsukuyo thought that Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei had gotten over their feelings for Gintoki and she could talk about him however she wanted. But from their reaction, it was obvious that they still harbored some feelings for her boyfriend.

They stayed like that for a few long seconds more, before Tae looked up with a bright smile. "I'm happy for you."

"What?" Tsukuyo said, startled.

"He is serious with you. You are so lucky."

"I..." Tsukuyo didn't know what to say to that.

"She's right" Kyuubei said. "He really loves you and we are really happy for it" she said sincerely.

Tsukuyo was shocked. "You guys..."

"Yes I know. We really liked Gin-san too. In fact, maybe we still do" Ayame started. But then she smiled. "But hey, if I have to let someone have him, then it'll be one of my best friends."

Tsukuyo stared at Ayame in disbelief. "Ayame..."

"We said it before, right? We'll fight for him, fair and square" Tae said.

Kyuubei nodded. "Let the best girl win."

"And you got him. And we're really happy for it" Ayame ended.

Tsukuyo felt so happy that tears started coming to her eyes. "Thank you, girls."

"But, you have to promise us that you'll make him happy. If I see him unhappy, just once, then I'll take him away from you by force!" Ayame exclaimed. They blinked at her, before laughing together. "I'm serious though" Ayame said.

"Me too" Tae said.

"And me" Kyuubei added.

"I know. Thank you. I promise I'll take care of him" Tsukuyo replied, brushing the tears from the corner of her eyes. "You're really kind Ayame, Tae, Kyuubei. I'm sure you'll find someone else soon."

"Hopefully. Though it's not happening anytime soon."

"What about Kondo-san, Tae?" Tsukuyo suggested

Tae scrunched her nose in disgust. Kondo had been crushing on Tae for a long time, even stalking her everywhere she went the same way Ayame did to Gintoki. Of course Tae didn't approve and beat him up everytime she saw him. "You mean that gorilla stalker? No way. I don't think so. That perverted ape needs to go back to the zoo."

"He seems sincere. Why don't you give him a chance?"

Tae huffed. "I don't think so. I'd rather be single all my life than be with him."

"Well, you are already a gorilla, so you'll be perfect with him" Ayame commented.

"What about you, Ayame? How are things with Hattori?" Tsukuyo asked the glasses girl.

"Huh? Nothing. We don't see each other that way. We're childhood friends, that's all."

"Well, you don't know what he thinks of you."

"That guy only likes ugly women after all. And I'm gorgeous so that's impossible. Besides, I'm devoted to Gin-san."

Tsukuyo shook her head. "And you Kyuubei?"

"I'm not interested in any guy but Gintoki."

"What about Tojo-san?" Tsukuyo said, mentioning Kyuubei's butler.

Kyuubei raised an eyebrow. "What's with Tojo?"

"Well, he seems to care for you very much."

"I don't like him that way. Besides, I don't think I'm ready to like another guy." She knew that for Kyuubei it was not that simple. She had been labelled as lesbian almost all her life. And yet, when she finally fell for a guy for the first time, she was rejected. Indirectly of course.

"Oh come on, let's talk about something else! It's been a while since we talked to each other like this right?" Tae said.

Kyuubei nodded and smiled. "I miss you guys."

"Me too."

The four of them started to find a place to sit while chatting with each other. Tsukuyo looked at her best friends who once, were also her love rivals. She really missed them, and she hoped nothing would break their friendship again.

* * *

Hinowa was talking with Otose when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She turned her head around to see Shouyou.

"Sh-Shouyou-san..."

"Good evening Hinowa-san."

Seeing the way the man and woman looked at each other, Otose raised an eyebrow. She remembered it as the same way she and her late husband had looked at each other. She smiled knowingly.

"I think I'll go check on Catherine and Tama in the kitchen" the old woman said as she walked away from the two.

"Do you enjoy the party so far?" Shouyou asked the woman beside him.

"Yes. The food is delicious and the performance is wonderful."

"I want to thank you for making those dresses for Nobume."

"Oh, that's alright. It is what I do everyday. I'm used to it."

"Though I can't really spot it among the mountain of presents" he said, glancing at the tower of birthday gifts at the corner inside a large metal basket. Hinowa chuckled. "I can't spot the two gifts anymore."

"Oh, I put both dresses into the same box so don't worry. My present is also in there."

Shouyou blinked. "You gave a present?"

"It's from me, Tsukuyo and Seita."

"You don't have to."

"I'll feel guilty if I didn't give anything. And besides, today is Nobume-chan's special day."

"Shouyou!" Shouyou and Hinowa turned to see a man and woman walking toward them. The man had long black hair that was tied in a braid, and he had a moustache. The woman had long red hair, tied in a similar braid as the man, and dark blue eyes. She looked exactly like Shouyou with the exception of the eye color and hair color.

"Kouka, Kankou, have you greet Nobume yet?"

"Oh yes we have. She's a grown girl now. Can't believe time went by so fast. I still remember when she was still this tall!" the man said, leveling his hand around his hip.

"We already put our gift in the present basket" the woman said. She then looked at Hinowa. The black-haired woman couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She looked like Shouyou in female form. "And who is this?"

"Oh, that's right." Shouyou turned to Hinowa. "Hinowa-san, this is my sister Kouka, and my brother in law, Kankou."

Hinowa bowed to the couple. "Pleased to meet you."

"Kouka, Kankou, this is Gintoki's girlfriend's older sister, Hoshina Hinowa-san."

"It's nice to meet you" Kankou said, giving her a big smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Hinowa-san" Kouka smiled.

Kankou suddenly blinked as he inspected Hinowa's face. "You look familiar lady. Did we meet somewhere before?"

Hinowa frowned. "I'm not really sure."

Kankou blinked and shrugged. "Do you mind if I borrow Shouyou for a while? I need to discuss something with him."

Hinowa blinked in confusion. "Oh, yes. Of course."

Shouyou opened his mouth to talk but was cut by his sister. "I'll stay here with her" Kouka said. Shouyou frowned but let Kankou pulled him away.

Hinowa blinked, not knowing what actually happened. Kouka turned to her and smiled. "May I sit here with you Hinowa-san?"

"Of course" Hinowa replied, smiling back at her. Kouka took a sit next to Hinowa. She moved and talked with certain grace and calmnesss, just like her brother. Her presence gave out a strong vibe as if warning others not take her lightly, but at the same time, there were also elegance and gentleness there, which were very calming. The same aura Hinowa always felt around Shouyou.

"Is something wrong?' Kouka asked her.

Hinowa realized she had been staring at the other woman. "I'm sorry. It's just that you remind me so much of Shouyou-san. But of course you two will be very similar because you are biological siblings."

Kouka smiled. "Many people say that. They always say that Shouyou and I are alike. But we are actually only half-siblings."

Hinowa widened her eyes in surprise. "Half-siblings?"

"Yes. Different fathers, same mother. My mother was pregnant with Shouyou from her old lover before marrying my father. And a year later, she was pregnant with me. That's why our father always treated Shouyou differently." Kouka looked down sadly. "Sometimes, I feel bad for him."

Hinowa's eyes were clouded with sadness as well. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you."

The two women fell silent for a moment. Hinowa looked around the party searching for Tsukuyo and Seita. She saw Tsukuyo sitting and chatting with her friends, Ayame, Tae and Kyuubei. She was glad that they got back together. She noticed that Tsukuyo stopped hanging out with them after dating Gintoki. She then turned to the side to see Kouka, only to find the other woman staring at her. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Kouka shook her head. "No it's just... I agree with Kankou that you do look familiar. Have we met before?"

"I don't know, Kouka-san."

"Are you familiar with Yato Clan?"

"Yes. I... worked under one before."

"Who was it?"

Hinowa hesitated. She didn't know whether she should tell her. Telling her that she had worked under Housen would give away her former job. She was not sure if she was ready for that.

"Hinowa-san."

"Yes?"

Kouka smiled reassuringly. "I'm not going to judge you."

Hinowa smiled slowly at the other woman. Kouka was also part of the Yato Clan so she must know the dark nature of the Clan. She might have sensed Hinowa's insecurity. "Well... I... worked under Housen."

"Housen? The night king of Yoshiwara?" Hinowa nodded. Kouka went quiet for several seconds before nodding her head. "I see. My husband was an old friend of Housen, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yes. If you worked under Housen, maybe you've heard about Umibouzu. Kankou was known in the underworld with that name."

Hinowa thought back. She did remember Housen mentioning about Umibouzu everytime he recalled his past fights. "Yes, I remember."

"So maybe that's how we met." Kouka suddenly realized something. "Have you... have you met Shouyou before then?" That question had a double meaning, Hinowa could sense that.

Hinowa fidgeted. "Yes... Actually I met him at the night House died."

"Ah! So you're the one who..."

Hinowa turned to her. "Yes?"

Kouka opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She shook her head. "No it's nothing." She looked calm and apethetic but Hinowa couldn't guess what this woman was thinking. They fell silent after that.

"I know that you may feel uncomfortble right now."

Kouka turned to look at her with questioning gaze. "Why?"

"Because you are sitting here with a prostitute."

"A prostitute who saved my brother's life." Hinowa looked at Kouka in surprise. The redhead smiled at her. "Shouyou told me that night, about a young woman, who despite knowing that she had no chance against Housen, dared to defy him. She stopped my brother before he lost himself, and helped him escape from the police despite seeing what he did and despite her own wound." She glanced at Hinowa's legs. "Those wounds were not just any wounds. It was the wound you get in your struggle for freedom." Kouka then looked ahead, her eyes distant. "It was thanks to you that Shouyou finally got the courage to fight" she whispered.

"What?"

The redhead shook her head and turned to Hinowa with a smile. "Anyway, you shouldn't be ashamed for it Hinowa-san. And I am not looking down on you. In fact, I want to thank you for helping my brother back then." Hinowa smiled back at the other woman. "But I still need to ask you one thing" Kouka said.

"What is it?"

"You must not tell anyone about what you saw and heard that day. No one." Kouka's face was expressionless, but her eyes were sharp and deadly serious.

Hinowa instantly knew what that meant. It was not exactly a request. It was a demand. She knew that she somehow had seen or heard something she shouldn't have back then. And now, she was pulled into it. But she was ready. She nodded to Kouka. "I know. I won't tell anyone."


	22. Confrontation

Gintoki was watching everyone enjoying the party. He was a social butterfly and many people came to talk to him every now and then. It's almost like he was more popular than the birthday girl tonight. But even he needed some time alone. He saw Shinsuke, Kotarou and Tatsuma, standing beside the stage. Joui was scheduled to perform around midnight and he still had time before that. They would perform at least 5 songs; 4 that he would sing and one would be sung by Shinsuke.

Speaking of Shinsuke, he's been acting weird lately. He and Nobume actually. Gintoki watched his sister, sitting and hanging out with Kagura, Soyo, Sougo and Kamui. She glanced briefly at Shinsuke, who happened to look her way at the same time. Their eyes met and they quickly looked away from each other.

Gintoki frowned. What's going on with them?

He sat up from his seat, startled as he felt something cold touch his cheek. He looked to his right to see his girlfriend grinning at him, with two glasses of lemon soda in her hands.

"It's so rare to catch you off guard. What're you looking at?" Tsukuyo asked as she followed his line of sight. She saw Shinsuke and Nobume and frowned.

"No, nothing" Gintoki said, slouching on his seat. "Where've you been?"

"Talking with Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei" she replied as she took a seat beside him.

Gintoki raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're back together? That's good."

She smiled. "I know."

"I was kind of worried since you didn't hang out with them lately. I thought you girls had a fight or something. They even stopped talking to me, including that purple-head, which is weird. I don't know why though."

 _If only you know_ , she thought. "Well, rest assured. We don't anymore."

He nodded. "Good. I hope they start talking to me again though. Being ignord like this makes me feel like I've done something terrible."

Tsukuyo blinked. "You do care about them after all, Gintoki."

"Well, of course! They're my friends. Even that masochist stalker. All of my friends are important to me, whether they're males or females." He then sighed and looked at the distance. "I don't want to lose another friend."

The last words he said were in a whisper, but she could catch it. She looked at him and she saw the scene she often saw. His face expressionless and his eyes distant, sad. She didn't ask him what he meant. She never really asked. Because the way he looked everytime he slipped the tidbits about his past was always heartbreaking. The look was gone after a split second.

"Anyway, I'm glad you girls are back together. Though the idea of four Amazon girls teaming up is really terrifying for me."

Tsukuyo huffed indignantly. _If only you know you're the one who caused us to break in the first place._ "Really, is that what you see in us? Amazon girls?"

"I can see that after spending so much time with you girls."

"Really? What is your first impression of the four of us anyway?"

Gintoki raised an eyebrow. "My first impression?"

"Starting from Tae."

Gintoki put his hand on his chin, wondering. "... Smiling Demon."

"Is it seriourly that bad?"

"Well she's really violent! I first met her when I visited Shinpachi in his family dojo. She greeted me with a smile and then I asked her whether she was a girl or a guy. She said she was a girl and asked me why I asked that. Then I said because she was flat. The next thing I knew, she almost destroyed my jaw with her punch. And she did it with a smile too."

Tsukuyo facepalmed. "That's a normal reaction for any girl."

"To you! I'm just telling the truth, okay! Is it wrong to be honest?!"

"Do you know the meaning of subtlety?"

"Well, I only said that spontaneusly because she seemed nice at first! And besides, she didn't have to punch me!"

Tsukuyo sighed. "Fine then. How about Ayame?"

"The stalker? Well I knew her through Zenzou when he introduced us to each other."

"And your first impression?"

Gintoki went quiet for a moment. "Nothing... I guess? Back then I saw her only as Zenzou's friend and nothing more. She was decent enough back then, in my opinion. But then I found out she could be very tricky. She lied to me about needing help from a mafia and asked me to come to the abandoned school building. The next thing I know, it's a trap made by Red Lotus Gang. Well, she didn't have a choice back then since they got her secret so I guess I can let her go for it. But right after that, she got downright annoying, following me every where. You know it, right?"

"Yes, I know." Tsukuyo nodded. "And Kyuubei? What did you think of her when you first saw her?"

Gintoki looked up and frowned. "Tomboy? I guess? I don't think much about it."

"Do you know that most of the guys in our school and even some girls avoided her?"

"Of course. I could see that you know. The society we live in is not very kind to gay people."

"So you do know about it."

"About her romantic feelings for Tae? Yes I know. It was pretty obvious back then."

Tsukuyo looked down sadly. "She became like that because she was raised like a boy. She felt uncomfortable around guys as well, and the girls were disgusted with her."

"But they don't do that anymore, right?"

"It's thanks to you." Gintoki turned to her in confusion. "Seeing you befriend her so easily, the others started to accept her and befriend her as well. You don't know how much you influence other people, Gintoki."

He shrugged. "I didn't do much."

"You offered her to join Kendo club when other guys avoided her and were afraid of her. You let yourself touch her despite being thrown back everytime, just so she would be used to guys touching her. You accepted her for who she was. And you..." _You made her get over her feelings for Tae and liked the opposite gender._ "You don't know how much your friendship meant to her."

Gintoki blinked and looked down. "You, Tae and Ayame accepted her for who she was too. And besides, I don't care about someone's sex or gender. If they're good in Kendo, I'll recruit them. If they're good person, I'll gladly be their friend if they want to. No matter if it is feminine girl or masculine guy, or feminine guy or masculine girl. Besides, what people think as being feminine and masculine depends on their own perspectives. Kind of like what they think as good and bad, strong and weak, ugly and pretty. It's just the stereotype people made to make things easier to be divided. In truth, there's no such thing as black and white."

Tsukuyo looked at her boyfriend in admiration. Despite his sarcasm, grumpiness and obnoxiousness, Gintoki had a certain charisma that drew people to him. And it only showed itself in rare moments. Such as now.

She smiled. "Your way of thinking is unusual. But maybe, that's why many people like you."

Gintoki grinned. "But of course! I'm lovable."

Tsukuyo sighed and shook her head amusedly. "Sure, you are." She then looked up at him. "And me?"

"You?"

"What about me? What is your first impression of me?"

Tsukuyo recalled their first meeting, at their first day in High School. She had heard from someone that one of the dean's sons was to be put in their class. But she hadn't been really curious about it back then, and they hadn't met during the opening ceremony. Their eyes had met for the first time when they had gotten to class.

Now that Tsukuyo recalled, she finally remembered Gintoki's reaction back then. His pupils were dilated, his mouth was wide open. He had looked so shocked. Flabbergasted even. He had marched to her so suddenly that she had taken a step back. He had stopped in front of her and stared at her for a long time, making her uncomfortable. He had looked at her, but hadn't been really seeing her. Like he was seeing something else.

 _"W-what's wrong with you?"_ she had asked him.

He had looked like he had just been woken up from a spell.

 _"Nothing... You just look a lot like someone I knew"_ he had replied. Then he walked away. For a few days, she could feel his eyes on her whenever they were in the same room. But after a long time, he ignored her like he did everyone else.

She looked up to see Gintoki's reaction to her question. He froze for a few seconds, before replying "I thought you seem to be a very serious person, and it turned out to be true."

"You're lying. You said I looked like someone back then."

Gintoki looked away from her.

"Gintoki... Can I ask you who it is the person who look like me?"

"No one. Just someone I knew long ago."

"It can't be no one. Or else you wouldn't be staring at me for a few days after our first meeting."

Gintoki's still pointedly looking away from her. Tsukuyo tugged his sleeve and he sighed. "It's just... a friend of mine in my childhood."

"What was she like?"

Gintoki looked at the distance, reminiscing about something that had happened long ago. "Kind of like you, you know. Her face looked exactly like you. Your personalites are also similar. She's very serious. Can be violent and vengeful sometimes, especially if I did something she deemed inappropriate. Most of the time, she beat me up. But she's also dependable, smart and hardworking." He sighed quietly, his eyes gentle and warm. "She understood me. She liked to help people whenever she could. She cared a lot about others. To the point of being selfless. She would do anything for her loved ones." He looked down and smiled softly, lovingly. "She's a very good girl."

Tsukuyo frowned. She could see the fondness and tenderness from his voice and expression. "Is that all you think of her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Were you two really just friends?"

"Well, yeah."

"But the way you described her didn't seem like you're describing a friend."

He sighed tiredly. "Fine. What if I told you she was my first love? I don't want you to be angry or sad, okay."

Tsukuyo pouted and looked away. Gintoki sweatdropped.

"Oh no. You're really mad, aren't you? Oh come on, Tsukuyo. It's in the past, okay. It's just a childhood crush. Yes, I liked her. But I like you now."

Tsukuyo puffed her cheeks now and even crosssed her arms. Gintoki started to sweat.

"Oh come on, Tsukuyo. Don't do this to me. This is why I don't want to talk to you about this. I'm afraid you'll react like this. Are you jeaolous? Is that it? I don't see her anymore, okay. I'm all yours now. Hey, don't give me that look. Come on, look at me. Please, Tsukuyo. Oh, what do you want me to do?"

Gintoki looked so miserable and she started to giggle. He blinked as her giggle turned into laughter. "Relax, Gintoki. I'm not mad at you. It's just that the way you're pleading was very funny."

He pouted at her. "You're mean."

She grinned. "But you love me."

He only sighed as he didn't want to make her angry for real. "And Tsukuyo... Just so you know, I didn't fall for you just because you look like her." He looked at her with genuine love and tenderness in his eyes. "I really love you."

Tsukuyo blushed a little. She then smiled and careesed his cheek. "I know that. I admit I was a bit jeaolous when you talked about her. But it was in the past." She then pouted. "But you once told me that I was your first official girlfriend."

"You are."

"Does that mean you never dated her?"

"Nope."

She nodded. "I see."

He sighed and put his arm around her. "Let's not talk about her here."

Tsukuyo smiled and leaned on him. "Yes."

They watched Otsuu performing on stage in a comfortable silence. Tsukuyo giggled as she saw Seita, cheering for Otsu with Shinpachi. Meanwhile, Gintoki looked ahead with cool yet sorrowful eyes.

 _Even if you're jealous, you don't have to worry about it anymore. She's no longer in this world._

* * *

Hinowa sat at one of the table with Kouka, still chatting with the other woman. They found out they liked each other's company and they could talk to each other about many kinds of topic. Hinowa felt a sense of security and comfort around Kouka, just like she felt around Shouyou.

"Oh, they came back" Kouka said, looking at her brother and husband, who were walking toward their table. "I guess that ends our conversation, Hinowa-san." She got up and smiled at the black-haired woman. "It's nice talking to you."

Hinowa smiled back at her. "It's nice talking to you too."

Kouka walked toward Shouyou and Kankou. The three of them talked to each other, about what she couldn't hear. Shouyou frowned, which was something Hinowa rarely saw. The married couple laughed at something and Shouyou frowned deeper. Kankou patted his brother-in-law's shoulder and said something while grinning, before walking away. Kouka whispered something in her brother's ear before following her husband. Shouyou was left with a frown on his face. Hinowa wondered what had happened. He turned to look at her and their eyes met. He smiled that endearing smile she always liked as he walked toward her.

"May I sit with you?" he asked.

"Of course" she said, nodding. Shouyou took a seat next to her. "You didn't look pleasant back then."

"What?"

"When you talked to Kouka-san and Kankou-san just now, you looked annoyed. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh... That..." Shouyou sighed. "It's nothing. They just talked about something they have always talked to me a thousand times."

"What is it?"

"Things about marriage."

Hinowa's heart suddenly did a summersault. "Marriage?"

"Something about it. But it is nothing."

 _"Shouyou, when are you going to pick a woman and marry?"_

 _"I know you raised Gintoki and the others well. But they will need a mother eventually."_

 _"I haven't found the right woman yet. And with my condition right now, I can't really get married."_

 _"You never know. The right woman might be nearer than you think."_

Shouyou glanced at his sister and their eyes met. Kouka smiled slyly and winked at him. He frowned again.

"Shouyou-san?"

He turned back to Hinowa, ready with a smile. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"I am fine."

Hinowa smiled at him and looked at the crowd in front of them. She still felt uneasy about what he said about marriage. Was Shouyou getting married? Had he found a woman for him? Who was it? It was certainly not her. It was just impossible. Then who was it? Could it be Jennifer? Then again, why did she think about this thing so much?

"It's just..."

Hinowa turned to Shouyou.

"This thing about marriage... It's hard for me..." Shouyou sighed. "I don't think I am ready to get married right now. And I don't know if I have the right to. Right now, the most important thing to me is my children. I want them to be happy and I want to prepare them for their future... I just want to focus on them."

Hinowa smiled at him. As a parent herself, she understood how he felt. "I know that you love your children so much, Shouyou-san. But sometimes, it is important to think about yourself as well."

He smiled at her. "I guess you are right."

She nodded. A part of her was relieved that he hadn't decided to marry yet. Another part felt guilty about thinking such a thing. She sighed and looked around the place for Seita to distract herself from the topic.

"What's wrong? Are you looking for something?"

"I'm looking for Seita. I have just remembered that I haven't seen him ever since I came back."

"He is right there." Shouyou pointed at the front of the stage. Seita perched on Oboro's shoulder, who was standing there with Shinpachi and Tetsuko. They cheered loudly for Otsuu. Seita looked really happy as he flailed his arms around. Shinpachi and Tetsuko seemed to enjoy the mini concert as well. Oboro on the other hand, looked so bored, as if he'd rather be somewhere else. Shouyou imagined it could be Seita or Tetsuko who dragged him there. He chuckled.

Hinowa let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness he's alright. I was worried since I couldn't see him at all during the party. Maybe I'm a bit exaggerating. I know that he's safe here."

"It's normal for you to feel that way. You are his mother. As a parent, I understand how you feel." He then smiled sadly. "Even though I am not their biological father."

Hinowa went quiet for a moment. "Actually... Seita and I..."

Shouyou looked at her. "Yes?"

Hinowa opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out. She seemed to freeze for a few seconds before closing her mouth again. "No... it's nothing..." She looked away. "I just don't think that a dirty woman like me, a sex worker, was fit to be a mother. I feel like I have no right to raise a child."

"Well personally, I think you are an incredible person, considering what you've been through. And I can see you've raised Seita with all you can."

Hinowa looked at him, her eyes soft and vulnerable. "Shouyou-san..."

"And if a sex worker is not fit to be a mother, then a murderer is even worse of a choice for a father" Shouyou said, his eyes looked lifeless.

"No... I think you are an incredible father. You raised your children well. And I know the sacrifice you did for their safety." Shouyou smiled sadly at her, but the light came back to his eyes.

"Thank you."

They looked at one another, once again lost in each other's eyes. Hinowa couldn't hear the music and loud chatters around her. It was like everything became silent. She stared at Shouyou's face. The colorful neon lights iluminated half of his face nicely. The other half of his face was shadowed, giving a sense of mystery to him. He reached out his hand to put a strand of hair in front of her face to the back of her ear. His hand lingered on her cheek.

Hinowa was lost in the pool of grey as she felt her face being pulled closer. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and parted her lips. But before their lips could touch, a voice interrupted them.

"Excuse me, Shouyou-san..."

The two pulled apart abruptly and opened their eyes to see a black-haired man in grand tuxedo. Hinowa stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes and slacked jaw. It was The Prime Minister himself, Tokugawa Shigeshige. He stared at them, before smiling slowly. "I am sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

Hinowa blushed darkly and Shouyou cleared his throat. "No it is nothing. Is there something I can do for you, Tokugawa-sama?"

The man smiled. "Oh, no. It is nothing important. I just want to congratulate your daughter for her sixteenth birthday. I came here late because of a meeting. But my sister has gone here in my place. I hope it is not too late for me to congratulate her."

Shouyou smiled. "Of course not. Thank you for coming all the way here from your meeting for this. I did not really expect you to come personally."

"And also... I want to talk to you about _that_ " Shigeshige said.

Shouyou's face turned serious and he nodded. "Of course." He stood up and turned to Hinowa. "I have to go. I'll be back later."

"I hope you do not mind that I take him away for a moment" Shigeshige said, saying similar things to Kankou.

"Oh... O-of course I don't mind" Hinowa said awkwardly, bowing to the Prime Minister. The two men walked away from her and she let out a long sigh. What had happened just now? Was he about to do it? Were they just about to... Hinowa's face turned as red as tomato.

"Well, don't you look happy?" a female voice said behind her.

Hinowa froze. Her face paled as she turned around to see the woman. There stood Jennifer Sanders, with sparkling blue mini dress. She looked beyond pissed. Angry even. But in the next second, she smiled sweetly. Hinowa trembled.

"We meet again, Hinowa-san."

"J-Jennifer-san... you came as well" Hinowa said, as Jennifer walked around the table to face her.

"But of course. After all, Shouyou and I are close. Though personally, I only came here to see him" Jennifer replied while inspecting her manicured nails. "I came just a few minutes ago and when I searched for him, what did I find? Shouyou was about to fall into a trap of a snake." She then glanced at Hinowa. "A vicious snake that was about to chop his head off."

Hinowa frowned at her. She was usually too polite to show any sign of defiance. But this time, she would not let anyone look down on her again. She then smiled sweetly back at the other woman. "So you came here to get rid of that snake?"

"Of course. Many evil snakes came to us wealthy people to suck our money like a leech sucking blood. I have to save Shouyou from those hungry snakes."

Hinowa balled her hands into fists. She ignored the fact that Jennifer openly accused her of being a gold digger and talked to her calmly "I'm sorry. But every woman, or 'snakes' as you call them, no matter how hungry they are, still have dignity. They don't need anyone's pity or anyone's money. They will earn what they want by themselves. And they also know better than hoping for other people to keep giving them charity."

Jennifer smiled at her. "Well, isn't it good to know that a poor, crippled woman actually knows her place?" Hinowa froze. "It's better for you like this. If you really think about it and compare yourself to Shouyou, you'll realize that he is beyond your league. He is kind to anyone, so he's not giving you special attention. And of course, many rich men will be attracted to a pretty face like yours. But most of the time, someone like you will only end up as a mistress, concubine, or kept woman. Don't fool yourself or you'll get hurt in the end."

Hinowa closed her eyes. She thought of Shouyou. Of their first meeting that night, where they made love. Where he saved her from Housen and where she helped him escape from the police. Of the first day of this vacation, where they met again for the first time in ten years. And of the time they spent together the last few days. When they cooked together. When he saved her from being trampled by a horse. When he offered to carry her when her wheelchair was destroyed. When he was there to listen about her life story. When he brought her swimming with him. When he bought her new wheelchair. When he bought her the Chinese silk. And then what happened just now...

He was kind to her. He cared for her a lot. But was it love that was between them? Or was it just a mere physical attraction?

"I just want you to know this beforehand, so when someday I marry Shouyou, you won't feel too upset about it, since it is impossible from the beginning" she heard Jennifer say.

No.

Even if it was not love, even if he didn't return her feelings, he still cared about her. And that was enough for her. He didn't look down on her like so many other people did to sex workers. He respected her. He understood her. That had been enough to give her the courage to stand up to Housen back then. And that was enough to give her confidence now. Knowing that there was someone other than Tsukuyo, who despite knowing what she did in the past, still cared and respected her.

"No."

"What?"

"You will never marry Shouyou-san" Hinowa said so firmly that it startled Jennifer.

"Excuse me? What makes you think I can never marry him?"

"What are your thoughts about his children?"

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "Well, they're not so bad though they can be annoying. But they will go away soon when they grow up, have a job and so on. And they can't protest their father's decision, so he can marry whoever he wants."

"Then you don't understand him well enough. Because for Shouyou-san, his family, his children, are everything. He will do anything for their happiness. And if you don't like them, or if they don't like you, then he will never marry you. He will only marry if it is for their happiness."

Jennifer glared at her. "Excuse me? Is that the only thing that bases your opinion?"

"Yes. It's the fact. I know it." She knew. She could see it in the way Shouyou looked at his five children. Even when he reprimended them, there was always love in it. He loved them so much. They meant the world to him. And he wouldn't do anything that they would not like.

"So what? He's going to marry you because they like you?"

"That, I can't say. I don't know what they think of me. But I know what they think of you. So I know they will not allow you to marry their father, and he will always follow them." Hinowa didn't know what made her say these words. She felt like she had slowly regained more confident after this vacation started. And this time, she had to stand up for herself.

Jennifer was livid. But she tried to look calm as she walked slowly toward Hinowa. "Well, you sure are different from the woman I met two days ago." She stopped in front of the black-haired woman. "But guess what?"

She pushed Hinowa's wheel chair backward roughly.

"A poor, crippled woman like you has no right to say those things to me."

Hinowa's wheel chair hit something behind her and she felt something cold and sticky splashed her hair, down to her face, then to her clothes. A loud sound followed by the sound of glass breaking was heard. Hinowa turned her head around. She had hit the drink table behind her. The table had fallen to the side, the glasses and cups on it had fallen and broken on the ground, the orange juice inside the glass pot had splashed onto her whole body, before the pot fell to the ground as well. The people around them turned their head in confusion and curiosity.

"Oh my God! Hinowa-san, look at what you've done! You should see where you go before you move your wheelchair! See, you even make the table fall to the side, and the glasses and cups are broken now! I wonder how Shouyou-san will react!" Jennifer said in a loud voice.

The people around them started to murmur about what happened. Jennifer smiled in victory, expecting Hinowa to cry or defend herself. But she did neither. Instead, she wiped the orange juice on her face and looked at Jennifer with a calmness that was quite eerie. Her face was expressionless, as if nothing big had happened. She then spoke to everyone around them.

"I didn't hit the table on purpose. Whether you all believe me or not, that is the truth." She then turned to Jennifer, startling her a little. There was no emotion on her face and her voice was smooth as she said "I know that you will do anything to get what you want, Jennifer-san. But not everyone will go as far as you do. You may expect me to cry or defend myself ferociously because that is what you would do in my position. But I am not going to do that because what you did is not something worth my energy to sulk or be angry for. Now if you excuse me, I would like to clean myself up." She quietly and calmly moved her wheelchair away. But before she went far, she talked again quietly so only Jennifer could hear. "It is such a shame that even though your face is beautiful, your personality is rotten." And with that she went her way.

Jennifer was supposed to feel victorious. Yet, she felt as if she had lost. She didn't know what to say, frozen on her spot. _What was that?! What did she say?! That poor, crippled woman!_ But she could feel it. And she could hear it as well. Everyone around her started to murmur how cool Hinowa had looked. Even when she was humiliated, she still stood tall and proud. It made Jennifer looked and sounded bad, and it infuriated her.

" _What have you done to my guest_?" she heard a deep growl behind her. Jennifer turned around to see Shouyou.

"Oh, Shouyou! I-"

" _What have you done to her, Jennifer_?" he growled again, which startled her. He looked at her with something that was akin to cold anger.

"You mean Hinowa-san? I didn't do anything. You should blame her instead! You see that table? She pushed it until it fell! And the glasses and cups are all broken now."

"No she didn't. You think I didn't see you when you pushed her roughly against that table?"

Jennifer went quiet. "Wait, Shouyou. I can explain-"

"I invited you here out of politeness. My children were against it, but I still did it to honor our cooperation. But if you came here only to harm my guest," he looked sharply at her, his eyes darkened and his pupils dilated. "then I will not hesitate to harm you as well."

Jennifer shivered. It was the first time she had seen him this way. She had never known Shouyou could be this frightening. He was usually so serene and amicable.

"Out" he said.

"What?"

"You are not wanted here. Go away."

"Are you... are you actually telling me to leave?! Is this because of that poor, crippled woman?!"

" _Do not call her that_ " he said, his voice low and dark, sending chills down her spine.

"If you kick me out of here then our cooperation is over" Jennifer said, her voice trembling a little.

"Then let it be" he said. He glared daggers at her. " _Out I said_."

She shuddered and quickly walked away from the scene.

The five Yoshida siblings were watching the scene in another corner. They had seen the whole thing. "I have to admit, this is the most entertaining thing I have seen in this party so far," Nobume said smirking.

Kotarou smiled. "I agree."

Shinsuke smirked. "Well, the witch had finally gone. Now _this_ is the real party."

Oboro sighed but he didn't hide his smile. "Let's just hope she won't come back again."

Gintoki chuckled. "Of course she won't! She's lost face here! The owner of the house himself scolded her and kicked her out of this place!"

The others laughed with him. But then, Kotarou commented with a frown. "Will Hinowa-san be okay though?" His other siblings lost the smile on their faces as well.

"I have to admit though. She was very cool for standing up to Jennifer like that" Shinsuke commented.

Gintoki snorted "Not cool. Brilliant! You see that witch going speechless after she left?"

Oboro nodded. "Now that's the real queen."

"She's incredible. I hope she's okay though" Nobume said.

After Jennifer had left, Shouyou started to walk away from the scene to search for Hinowa.


	23. Love Song

**Everyone, thank you so much for the review** **s** **. Your reviews have given me strength to carry on. I'm very spirited now. For this AU, I plan to make it longer. I may make another sequel after this one. Well it's just a plan so don't get your hopes up for now cause this story is so damn long. That is if you guys are willing to read it. But it's just a plan so don't get your hopes up. I still haven't finished my Naruto fanfiction and I plan to finish that one first. Well, here it goes.**

 ** _Chome Chome!_**

 ** _Chome Chome!_**

 ** _Chome Chome!_**

The show continued with Otsuu performing on stage. Tsukuyo was sitting in a table with Nobume. She looked worried and Nobume noticed her looking at the house every few minutes.

"Are you still worried about Hinowa-san?"

Tsukuyo looked down without saying anything.

"It's alright. I'm sure she's okay. No one blame her for what happened just now. In fact, many of the guests thought that she's kind of cool. I heard it myself. We know that the one at fault was that mannequin and Dad has gotten rid of her."

Tsukuyo smiled a little at Nobume's joke. "Thank you Nobume-chan. I know." She was a bit worried about her sister after she's gone just like that. But Shouyou had gone after her so she guessed it'd be alright.

"Someone ordering a donut?" a male voice said from behind. Suddenly, a donut appeared hanging in front of Nobume's face. Silent, the two girls blinked at the food hanging in front of them before Nobume pounced.

"DONUT!"

The donut flew away from her before she could get her hands or even her mouth on it. Now that she looked at it closely, Tsukuyo saw a string attached to the donut. She followed the string to a fishing rod, to a hand, then to a man with gray hair wearing round glasses. He was standing beside a short brown-haired woman with swollen stomach.

"Isaburo, stop teasing Nobume-chan like that!" the woman said as the man kept playing around with the fishing rod with Nobume, jumping around to catch the donut attached to it. Tsukuyo had to admit that the sight was pretty funny and cute. She couldn't help but giggle.

Nobume pounced and caught the donut in her mouth, quickly eating it. She then turned to the man and woman. "Uncle Isaburo! Aunty Yuuna!" Nobume walked to the couple and hugged them.

"You still have a weakness for donut Nobume-chan" Isaburo said, shaking his head. "Someone will use it against you someday."

Nobume stuck out her tongue at him and Yuuna giggled.

"How's the baby?" Nobume asked them, rubbing Yuuna's stomach. "Have you find out the sex yet?"

"Yes, we have. It's a girl" Yuuna replied. "And actually..." She glanced at her husband who raised his eyebrow at her. "You want me to tell her or do you want to do it yourself?"

"Tell me what?" Nobume asked, tilting her head to the side.

Isaburo shrugged. "You tell her."

Yuuna smiled and turned to Nobume. "We decide to name our baby 'Nobume', just like your name."

Nobume's eyes widened in shock. She looked at Yuuna's stomach, than back at the couple. "You're going to name your baby Nobume? With my name? Is that okay?" she said, feeling unsure.

"Of course it's okay. We want her to be just like you" Isaburo said, patting her head.

"It's actually Isaburo who came up with that Idea, and I agreed." Yuuna smiled. "We want our daughter to be kind, brave and strong, like her older sister" the woman said, careesing Nobume's hair.

The birthday girl smiled, blushing a little. "I'm not... exactly like that" she said, looking down in embarrassment. "And I'm not her older sister."

"Well you will be like one for her when she is born." Isaburo said. He smiled thinly. "And I know you will be a role model for her."

"You will be like what? A Godsister?" Yuuna said, laughing.

Nobume smiled. "I'm really happy that you decide to name her with my name."

They all smiled at each other. Tsukuyo, who listened to every word they said, also smiled. She recognized the man as Sasaki Isaburo, the owner of Mimawarigumi, and his wife Sasaki Yuuna.

Otsu stopped singing and bowed at her audience. "Everyone, thank you for listening to my songs, Corny Pup!" she said, saying her signature words at the end of her sentence. Everyone cheered despite the dirty words.

"After this, the one who will perform in my place is the band owned by the hosts themselves. Please welcome The Joui, Rotten Corpse!"

Everyone cheered again. Otsuu came down the stage as the four members of Joui walked up the stage with their instruments. Tsukuyo widened her eyes.

"Nobume-chan! It's their turn!"

Nobume nodded. She excused herself from Isaburo and Yuuna and went back to sit next to Tsukuyo.

The band that had been famous around Gintama School, Joui, was consisted of Yoshida Gintoki as the vocalist, Yoshida Kotarou as the bassist, Yoshida Shinsuke as the guitarist and Sakamoto Tatsuma as the drummer. They started their debut just four years ago, when the members were still in middle school, with great hype. The girls loved them and the guys admired them. They had performed for numerous school events and of course, they wouldn't miss their little sister's birthday party.

The four guys took the stage and the girls screamed. Tsukuyo watched Gintoki took the center stage, speaking to the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. We're going to have a mini concert here. I hope you enjoy our performance. These songs we dedicate to our cute little sister, who is not exactly cute anymore." Gintoki grinned. Nobume stuck out her tongue at him and the others laughed. "Anyway, let's start." He grabbed his guitar. Shinsuke and Kotarou held their guitars as well while Tatsuma sat behind the set of drums.

"HERE WE GO!"

The concert started and the audience started to roar. The band performed well. Even more than well actually.

Tsukuyo looked at her boyfriend in admiration. If she were to ask someone how she looked like, they would say, sparkling. She loved to hear Gintoki sing. More than that, she loved seeing him perform on stage. The first time she had seen him perform was at the cultural festival during the first year of High School. Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei had dragged her to watch it and she had been amazed. Back then, standing on the stage was someone completely different from how she had known him. The Gintoki she knew was usually lazy, lackluster, lethargic and phlegmatic. On stage, when he was singing, Gintoki looked energetic, bright, vibrant, and lively.

His eyes shining and intense, his movements fast and certain, his smile wide, showing his gleaming white teeth, his voice loud and clear, he looked beautiful even with sweat running down his fair hair and face. He looked so... alive.

The first time Tsukuyo had seen Gintoki liked that, she was speecless, mesmerized. She had looked to Tae, Ayame and Kyuubei and saw their eyes sparkling as well as they watched him. He was truly a sight to behold. And a part of her felt proud and incredibly happy, knowing that this guy, this attractive young man was hers.

The mini concert continued as The Joui performed one song after another. After the fourth song was finished, the audience cheered again.

"Thank you! Now we're going to sing the last song!" Gintoki said to the micropone. "But..." he added, causing them to go quiet. "This one is not going to be sung by me. But by our beloved, little guitarist, Shinsuke!" Everyone cheered a little.

Tsukuyo widened her eyes. _Shinsuke-kun's going to sing?_

"Shin-nii's going to sing?" Nobume said, voicing Tsukuyo's thought out loud.

Shinsuke bristled at Gintoki as Kotarou and Tatsuma pushed him to the front. Gintoki walked to the back, taking Shinsuke's place as the guitarist as Shinsuke walked to the center of the stage. He cleared his throat a little. Tsukuyo swore she could see a light blush on his cheeks.

"I made this song for a special someone. I want to sing it myself to make it... more special" Shinsuke said. Some of the girls sighed. The others, including Matako screamed. Some of them commented that it was very cute.

Tsukuyo smiled. "I didn't know that Shinsuke has a sweet side too. But it's very cute. Don't you think so, Nobume-chan?" she turned to the younger girl, but Nobume's expression surprised her.

Nobume was frowning, the edges of her lips pulled down, and she bit her bottom lip a little. _He made a song for a special someone? Is it a girl he likes? Who is it? Is it that Ma*ko? But he doesn't seem to like her that way._

"Nobume-chan, is something wrong?"

Nobume snapped out of her thoughts. "No, it's nothing Tsukuyo-san."

Tsukuyo stared at her. She thought she had seen something like annoyance mixed with sadness on Nobume's expression just now. Could it be...

Shinsuke started to sing and she averted her attention to the stage. She had to admit that Shinsuke's voice was not too bad. Almost as good as Gintoki's. He also played as backing vocal after all.

 ** _I know we've been close_**

 ** _As close as friends or even siblings_**

Tsukuyo widened her eyes. Siblings?

 ** _It was friendship we expected_**

 ** _It is friendship we both share_**

 ** _But as time goes by_**

 ** _I started to feel something different_**

 ** _I started wanting something different_**

Nobume frowned deeper.

 ** _I want to tell you_**

 ** _But I can't risk it_**

 ** _I've been hiding this feeling_**

 ** _Almost my entire life_**

 ** _Burying it deep within me_**

 ** _Wishing for it to go away_**

 ** _But it never goes away_**

 ** _And I stay like this until today_**

 ** _Looking at you from afar_**

 ** _Wishing for something more_**

 ** _And I've got to tell you this_**

His eyes flicked to their direction and Tsukuyo widened her eyes. Could it be, he...

 ** _I love you_**

 ** _I really do_**

 ** _Maybe you never imagined_**

 ** _That I would fall for you_**

 ** _But I do, I really do_**

 ** _Always wondering why it has to be you_**

 ** _Knowing that you may never love me too_**

Some of the girls screamed and cooed. Matako's eyes sparkled. "Could it be the song is for me?" she wondered out loud.

But Bansai who stood next to her shook his head. "I don't think so." _Though I do believe it is the special song that he made for the girl he likes. That means that girl is here?_ He thought as he looked around the crowd.

Matako huffed. "Of course it is! Who else he makes it for? I mean he's not particularly close to any girl other than me."

 _That's true though._ Bansai thought. Shinsuke was not really sociable and the ones he hung out with other than his brothers and Tatsuma were him and Matako. She was technically the only girl he was 'close' to.

"SHINSUKE-KUN! DON'T WORRY! I LOVE YOU TOO!" Matako screamed at the top of her lungs. Bansai sighed again. The song was finished soon after. Shinsuke went back and was replaced by Gintoki again.

"Thank you! That's our last song for tonight! Have a great night everyone!" They cheered as The Joui waved at them and went down the stage.

Tsukuyo got up and ran to them. Shinsuke was putting away his guitar when he saw Tsukuyo walking to him with a serious and demanding face. Startled, he quickly walked away from the stage in a hurry. Tsukuyo quickened her pace and ran after him. They arrived near the pond when Tsukuyo grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Shinsuke!"

"What?!

"I know who you wrote that song for."

She could feel him freeze. "So what? Why do you care?"

"Because I care for both of you. I think we should have a talk about this." She slowly released her grip on his arm. He didn't run away thankfully.

"Shinsuke-kun... you're in love with Nobume-chan, aren't you?"


	24. Confession

"How long have you felt that way for her?"

"I don't know. I don't even know when it started. I just started to realize it when I hit puberty I guess."

Tsukuyo and Shinsuke were sitting at the edge of the pond. Tsukuyo watched Elizabeth floating there. She didn't seem to mind their presence and just floating around on the water.

Shinsuke sighed. "At first, I didn't think of her like that. I cherished her. Just like I cherished our father, Gintoki, Kotarou and Oboro. They're all my precious family and the six of us have been through a lot together. Shouyou adopted us. She's my sister and I'm her brother. It was that simple."

He went silent for a moment and Tsukuyo waited patiently.

"But as time went by, and especially these past few years, I don't think I can see her as a little sister anymore..." He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. He didn't know why he was telling her this. He didn't even tell any of his family members about this. Or maybe he just wanted someone to listen to him other than Tatsuma. Someone to share this secret with. One that wouldn't make fun of him for having feelings for his own sister.

"And... I don't know... It just feels so wrong, you know... To have feelings for your own sister..."

"You are not blood-related."

"Doesn't matter, she's still my sister! And having feelings for your own sister is weird!" He looked down, his bangs hiding his face from view. "I don't know what she'll think of me if she knows it. Maybe she'll be disgusted, having one of her brothers having romantic feelings for her."

"What makes you think so? I mean she doesn't know about your feelings, so we don't know how she'll react."

"So? It doesn't matter. If she knows, it'll be hella awkward! We're living under the same roof, having the same father, the same brothers, and..." He scowled. "I want to stay beside her, at least as her brother. But if I tell her it'll ruin even that. My feelings will ruin this family bond we still have. This is just not possible. She doesn't see me that way."

Tsukuyo thought of Nobume's awkwardness around Shinsuke, her question to her and Hinowa during their outing, and her expression when Shinsuke sang the song. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Huh?" Shinsuke looked up at her in confusion.

Tsukuyo shook her head and smiled. "Still Shinsuke, you can't hide this forever."

"Not forever. At least until I go to college, get a job and go away from her."

Tsukuyo sighed. "The point is you have to tell her soon. And not after you go to college, get a job and go away from her. But soon. It must make you feel so awkward and uneasy around her. Bu it will help you ease the tension in your body and your heart if you let it all out. I mean... have you ever felt that you like someone so much, but you're afraid that if you tell them you'll ruin what you already have?"

Shinsuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you speaking from experience?"

"Yes" she admitted, much to his surprise. "I like Gintoki for a long time. But I didn't tell him my feelings and kept it hidden. If he didn't confess to me that night during the school prom, I might have already brought this feeling with me without telling him for the rest of my life. I don't want to ruin our friendship with it... and... well, there're other reasons, like our different social status and some of my close friends liking him too... But the point is... You'll never know until you try."

 _And I have a feeling that you may have a chance._ She didn't tell him that. She knew he wouldn't believe her. "I'll give you a hand if you need it."

Shinsuke snorted. He let out a long sigh, but after a few seconds, he smiled. "Thanks Tsukuyo."

"For what?"

"For listening to me. This thing has been eating me away and it's nice talking about it to someone other than Tatsuma."

Tsukuyo smiled.

* * *

Nobume stared at the direction where Shinsuke and Tsukuyo had gone to with a mix of sadness and anger. What's wrong with her? No, more importantly, what's up with them?

 _What are they doing right now? Don't tell me that they..._

She had noticed Shinsuke looking toward their table during his singing. And then suddenly, Tsukuyo went after him after their concert...

Nobume gasped. _Don't tell me he wrote that song for her!_ Her chest suddenly ached, so much that she balled her hands. She turned to look at Gintoki, who was talking to Sougo and Kamui. _They're together again._ Nobume thought. She knew Sougo and Kamui looked up to Gintoki. They learned many tricks and pranks from him, sometimes calling him Aniki and treated him like their Boss. Everyone called them, the "Trio Sadists".

Nobume wondered. Gintoki had seen Tsukuyo and Shinsuke went away. But he didn't seem to be bothered. And yet it bothered _her..._

"So you should give them hints when you're helping them" Gintoki said to the younger boys.

"Hints like what?" Kamui asked.

"Like, when she's trapped in the rain without umbrella, or when she carries heavy things, you help her. And if she asks you why you're helping her, just said 'Why do you think I'm helping you?'"

Sougo nodded while putting his hand on his chin. "I see. Making her curious, huh..."

Gintoki pointed to him. "Exactly. You don't tell her directly. Just makes her more curious of you. Make yourself seem mysterious to her. Girls like mysterious guys, you know. You can still tease her or make fun of her. But when she needs help, be there for her without saying anything."

Kamui slapped his palms together. "Oh, I get it! I do it all the time."

Gintoki patted his shoulder. "Then you've already done it well. But Kagura and Soyo are still in fifth grade. Just do things like that for now. You can be more proactive once they enter middle school."

Sougo and Kamui frowned. "Who says we're talking about them?" Sougo said.

Gintoki smirked. "Oh come on. You didn't think I wouldn't notice?"

"Gin-nii!" The trio sadists turned to Nobume as she walked to them.

"Oh, Nobume! Want to join us?"

"Didn't you see Tsukuyo-san and Shin-nii walking over there?" she said, pointing to the direction.

Gintoki raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah."

"Well, aren't you bothered?"

"Why?"

"It's your girlfriend and your brother!"

Gintoki shrugged. "What? You think they're gonna cheat on me? I don't think so. I trust Tsukuyo and I trust Shinsuke. They wouldn't do that."

Gintoki seemed so confident about it so Nobume should too. But she's still bothered. "But... but you never know. They maybe plotting something behind your back... or... I don't know... Why don't you just check on them... I mean... we don't know what they're doing-"

"Now, you're being strange" Gintoki said.

"Hey, you're okay Nobume? You're acting weird" Kamui asked her.

"I'm fine."

"Well, you look pissed somehow even though you're supposed to be happy today" Sougo commented.

Gintoki frowned, worrying about his sister. "Maybe you're just tired. You should sit down and rest."

"I'm fine, Gin-nii" she said, but she still looked distressed.

"You want a drink?" Kamui asked.

"Or a donut?" Sougo asked.

Nobume sighed and massaged her forehead. "Donut will be nice."

"We'll get you some then."

The Trio Sadist went away while Nobume took a seat. Donut usually could cheer her up, but this time it didn't make her feel any better. She knew that Gintoki was right. Tsukuyo and Shinsuke wouldn't do something like that. She had watched Tsukuyo whenever she was together with Gintoki. She knew that the older girl genuinely loved her brother. And Shinsuke... Even if he did like Tsukuyo, he respected Gintoki too much to make a move. But... even if she knew he wouldn't make a move, there was a possibility that he liked Tsukuyo. She remembered him saying that Tsukuyo had convinced him to quit smoking. And when he sang that song, he was looking to her direction. Did that mean...

Her heart ached again and Nobume shook her head. She was being ridiculous.

She then blinked as she saw Tsukuyo and Shinsuke walking back into the party ground. Tsukuyo was quickly greeted by her friends and they went somewhere together. Shinsuke was walking to Nobume's direction. When their eyes met, she looked away. Those emerald eyes made her feel strange whenever she saw them these past few days. She didn't want to feel more confused and jumbled than she already was. And looking at him made her stomach churn for a reason she didn't know.

She didn't notice him, looking at her longingly.

* * *

Hinowa was combing her wet hair in her room. She had just taken a bath and changed her clothes to clean herself from the orange juice on her clothes, face and hair. She sighed. She wondered what happened after she left. She could hear the ruckus from the outside. The party was still going on. When she had come inside the house, she was a bit startled with how quiet it was. But it made sense since everyone was in the backyard so the house was completely empty, with the exception of the kitchen. But her room was far from the kitchen and the backyard, so it was silent around here.

She finished combing her hair and put away the comb. She wondered whether she should go back to the party or not. Then again, she didn't really want to face Jennifer or Shouyou at the time. A knock on the door made her jump. She didn't know there was someone here. She didn't even hear any footsteps.

"Hinowa-san, are you in there?"

Her heart jumped in her chest. _Shouyou-san?_

"Are you alright? Can I come in?"

Hinowa took her time to compose herself before saying "Yes, you can come in."

The shoji door was opened, revealing Shouyou, looking at her worriedly. He walked into the room, his steps so careful and graceful that there was no sound. So that's why she couldn't hear his footsteps. He kneeled in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? You are not hurt?"

"I'm alright. Don't worry."

He checked her body to search for any hidden injury and she blushed a little as his eyes roamed her body. "None of the sharp glass hit you?"

"No. It's just the drink that fell on me." Hearing the word glass, she was reminded again of what happened. "I am sorry for breaking your cups and glasses. And for making such a scene."

Shouyou shook his head and smiled at her. "Don't be. You're not the one at fault. It was Jennifer." Hinowa widened her eyes in surprise. "Yes, I saw her when she pushed you against that table" Shouyou confirmed. He then looked down, his smile gone. "In fact, I want to say sorry for what happened to you. I'm sorry for what she did. I really shouldn't invite her here. Gintoki and the others were against it."

Hinowa smiled. "It's alright. I'm not hurt after all. And Jennifer-san?"

"She left. I told her to leave."

Hinowa gasped. "You told her to leave?"

"After what she did? Of course."

Hinowa looked down and bit her lower lip. "And what about your relationship with her?"

"Our relationship? You mean the business deal? Don't worry about that" Shouyou said, smiling at her reassuringly. "I'm more worried about your well-being."

She smiled, a blush spread on her cheeks. Somehow, being around this man always calmed her. She then sighed. "I must look really embarrassing out there."

Shouyou chuckled. "Embarrassing? I don't think so. Have you seen the Prime Minister, Tokugawa Shigeshige, drinking in a bar only with briefs? Or the Commissioner of National Police Agency, Matsudaira Katakuriko doing belly dancing in his daughter's birthday party?"

Hinowa gaped like a fish and Shouyou chuckled seeing her expression. "Now _that_ is what I call embarrassing."

"They really did that?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes. If you know them as close as I do, you see a side that no one sees."

Hinowa nodded, still in disbelief. "I... see..."

Shouyou tilted his head toward the door. "You want to go back to the party?"

Hinowa thought about it. Jennifer was gone and she was glad. She wasn't prepared to deal with that woman anytime soon. But still, even with Shouyou by her side, she wasn't ready to face the others. "I think I'll stay here. I'm a little tired."

"Then I'll stay here with you."

Hinowa turned to Shouyou in surprise. "You don't have to. You can go back and join the party."

"It's alright. I feel a little tired myself. And being in your company feels nice." Her heart skipped a beat at his words. "If you don't mind, I'll stay here with you." He then raised an eyebrow. "Unless you are so tired that you want to rest for the night."

"No!" She gripped his sleeve, looking down at her lap. "Stay..." she murmured. Her face was burning and she didn't dare to look up and see his face.

Shouyou smiled. "Then I shall stay."

They both sat side by side, looking out the window at the night sky. The sky of the countryside was really different from the city. Here, you can see the moon and the stars clearly. It was beautiful. The only light in the room was the small lamp beside the vanity table. It somehow made the atmosphere more... romantic?

Hinowa glanced at the man beside her. She always felt at ease when she's with him. She knew he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. "Hinowa-san?"

His voice made her jump a little. "Y-yes?"

"I just want to tell you... Whatever Jennifer has told you, don't let it get to you. None of it was true."

Her stomach churned. "You heard?"

He looked at her. "I heard and I saw everything." He turned his whole body to face her. "You are not what she said of you. Don't let her get to you."

Hinowa smiled at him. "I know. Thank you Shouyou-san."

"And I definitely wouldn't marry her either."

She couldn't help but giggle at his statement.

"I'm serious. Believe me, I won't ever." He didn't know why he said it. He felt like he had to tell her that. He didn't want her to think that he's interested in Jennifer, or any other women.

"I know, Shouyou-san. You will always choose your children over any woman."

Shouyou fell silent. "Yes... Of course..."

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head and smiled. "It's nothing. You are right. If I want to marry a woman, I need to ask their opinion about it since she will be their mother." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Jennifer couldn't be like that. She couldn't appreciate them. She always said that because they were adopted, they had no right to oppose me and they just burdened me. But she was wrong. They are a blessing. The best thing that ever happened in my life. To think that someone like me is still allowed to raise children. Even though they are not my own, that is enough. Having them around is enough." He went quiet again, lost in his thoughts. After a few seconds, he looked down at Hinowa to find her looking at him with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry. You may not understand it."

She shook her head. "No, I understand it more that you think I do Shouyou-san... After all... Seita... is not my real son either..."


	25. Romance

_Hinowa was working on her sewing table when she heard the front door_ _of the house_ _being opened and closed. It was probably Tsukuyo. A few seconds later, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in" she called out._

 _The door was opened, revealing a beautiful young woman with neck-length brown hair. "_ _Surprise_ _!"_

 _The black-haired young woman turned_ _her head_ _in surprise. She forgot that there was one more person with the spare key to her house other than Tsukuyo. "Miyako!" Hinowa stopped what she's doing to greet her best friend. Miyako ran and hugged the other young woman, though she had to bow to do that. Hinowa wrapped her arms around her friend but froze when she felt something strange. "You're getting bigger. Have you gained weight? No offense."_

 _Miyako chuckled. "You realize it, don't you?" Hinowa frowned worriedly as Miyako took to sit on the sofa. She felt something wrong with her friend. "So, how's Tsukuyo-chan doing?"_

 _"Oh, she's doing well in school. She is the smartest among her peers and I'm so proud of her."_

 _"I_ _s_ _she still bullied?"_

 _Hinowa smiled sadly. "She is. But it's not as bad as her time in elementary school."_

 _Miyako frowned and looked down at her lap. "I see... Well, just tell me if one of those kids bother her. I'll be there to defend her!" she said, raising her fist._

 _Hinowa giggled. "Thank you. But she's fine, really. How about you? What are you doing here today?"_

 _"What, can't I visit my best friend?" Miyako said, feigning hurt._

 _Hinowa chuckled. "Come on, Miyako. I know you're busy and you only call me once every three days, and come to visit only once a week. And if I recal, right now is your work hours. So, what are you doing here?"_

 _Miyako pouted. "Just because we've found our own job now, doesn't mean I forget about you and Tsukuyo-chan. We've been through a lot together."_

 _Hinowa smiled at her. "I know. We are both indebted to you, Miyako."_

 _"Oh, please stop that Hinowa, you'll make me embarrassed!" They giggled. "Actually... I just need to talk to you."_

 _Hinowa blinked. "Is this about your relationship with your boss?"_

 _"It's related" Miyako admitted. "Actually, it's more than that." She looked down and rubbed her stomach. Hinowa widened her eyes._

 _"Miyako, don't tell me..."_

 _"Hinowa... I... I'm pregnant with that man's baby."_

* * *

Shouyou stared at Hinowa in shock after hearing her statement. "What?" he whispered.

"Seita... is not my real son... He is the son of my friend, who died from childbirth five years ago." Hinowa went quiet. She sucked a deep breath and Shouyou took her hand in his. Hinowa slowly turned to face him. "Do you mind if I talk to you about this?"

"No, of course not" he said, gripping her hand in his.

Hinowa let out a sigh. "Seita's real mother was my old friend. We once worked together in Housen's place. Her name is Miyako. We lived together for a few years after Housen died and we quitted the job. Well, we went to find work after we graduated from High School. I took sewing courses and she worked in convenience store. She... had an affair with the manager... She was pregnant... They planned to marry before the baby was born. But after he found out about her past as a prostitute, he left her." Hinowa bit her lower lip. "Miyako was in great despair. And she was near her time when he left her. What a despicable man." Shouyou was a bit surprised hearing such a strong word from such a soft-spoken woman. But he could understand her anger for her friend. "Miyako was very affected by it. Her body became weaker as her time came. And when she gave birth to her son, she died from childbirth." Hinowa's hand trembled. "And that man didn't even want to take the custody and even denied his own son... While some people are desperate to have a child..." she said, her voice trembled from sadness and anger.

"So you adopted him" Shouyou concluded.

Hinowa nodded. Shouyou didn't say anything and just rubbed her hands quietly.

"I was really sad when she died. She was my closest friend. The best friend that I ever have. We've been through a lot together and she had helped me and Tsukuyo lots of time. Adopting her son is the only thing I can do to repay her kindness to us... But... I learned something from her case." She looked down. "No matter how much a man loves a woman, he wouldn't want her anymore after he finds out she was once a prostitute."

Shouyou widened his eyes. "Hinowa-san..."

"Women like us are dirty. We have been tainted. Defiled. And no men would want to marry a woman who had been defiled by different men so many times. We are dirty, impure-"

"Hinowa-san-"

"I don't even feel like I deserve to be a mother. I adopted Seita and take care of him as best as I can. But he is still Miyako's son. He is not mine. And I don't know if someone like me even deserves to have him call me 'Mom'. I feel so dirty. I feel like I don't deserve him. I-"

"HINOWA!" She felt herself being pulled into an embrace. She could feel tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. But the warm body that enveloped hers calmed her down. After a few seconds, she realized that he hadn't called her name with any honorific.

"Please stop saying things like that. Don't look down on yourself even more" Shouyou whispered in her ear. "Even if your body has been tainted, your soul remains pure. And that is what matters. You have gone through a lot but you keep smiling through it all. Despite your condition, you did your best to take care of Tsukuyo-san and protect her, even at the cost of your own freedom. You adopted Seita-kun when he had no one else anymore. You raised and took care of him even though he is not yours." His hold on her body tightened. "You are genuinely kind. You are pure. That was what I thought the first time I got to know you all those years ago. Sometimes, physical body doesn't mean anything. The most important thing is the soul. And your soul is strong and pure. As long as you keep your soul pure, your body will stay clean." He smiled. "So please stay strong and kind. Just like I know you to be."

Hinowa widened her eyes and gaped. A tear ran down one of her cheeks as she drowned herself in his warmth. She had missed his touch. She had never missed the touch of a man like she craved his touch. She always felt disgusted when a man touched her, likely due to the trauma from back then. Everytime a man touched her, she was always reminded of what she felt back then. The cold, the numbness, and the dirty feeling she felt everytime she remembered their hands, roaming all over her body.

But with Shouyou, it was different. He hugged her, but he kept his hands firmly on her back. He didn't roam his hands all over her body like other men had done. His touch was firm but gentle and warm, not rough. Never rough. His presence calmed her, not frightened her. Even though she's supposed to be afraid of him, knowing that he was a killer, for some reason she didn't. Because instead of malice or cruelty, she could only sense emptiness from him. Emptiness and remorse. And behind that hollowness, there was deep sadness.

Hinowa hoped she could stay like this forever. But just when she was about to move her arms to hug him back, he let go of her. He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed her body away from his. He then smiled at her. "I hope you feel better now."

Hinowa stared at him. There was something hollow inside her heart when he pushed her away. Shouyou noticed the trail of tear on her cheek. He reached out his hand to rub it. But suddenly, she took hold of his hand and pressed it against her cheek. "Then why don't you comfort me some more?"

Shouyou widened his eyes in surprise at her action. He hesitantly tried to pull his hand away, but she held it firm in her hand. "I... don't think... we should get too close..."

"Why?" He looked away from her. "Shouyou..." she called him, not caring about honorific anymore.

"Do you remember what you said to me that night, ten years ago?" he said

"I said a lot of things to you back then."

"After we've done the deed."

Hinowa tried to remember what she said that he might be referring. "About us seeing each other?"

"You said that if you and I were both free, we could see each other properly." She widened her eyes in surprise. _He remembers..._ "And I'm not free yet, Hinowa. I haven't been able to completely break free. There are some loose ends that I have to deal with. It's not over yet for me."

"Then we can face it together."

"I can't bring you along for this one."

"Shouyou-"

"You don't understand..." He looked down, and he looked so pained, so broken. "I'm not like you... I have more sins than you do. I have done so many terrible things that I can't even compensate with my life. Even if I atone for it for the rest of my life, it doesn't seem to be enough. I'm not a human. I'm a _demon_." She shivered, hearing him say that word. "Trust me. I maybe the last man you want to be with."

"I am willing to share that burden with you."

"I can't-"

"And you're not a demon. You're not evil. You're just..." she put her hands on his face, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs, his sorrow and pain palpable in his eyes, "...broken."

He looked like he was ready to cry and the sight broke her heart. "What if I tell you I am not human?" She grew silent. "What if I tell you, you may get hurt or even die if you're with me?"

She stared at him with sorrowful eyes for long seconds before slowly putting their foreheads together. "Then I'll accept it. As long as you're with me."

Shouyou closed his eyes, his eyelids were trembling. Hinowa wrapped her arms around him, his head dropped on her shoulder. This time, it was her who gave him comfort. He hugged her back tightly, like he needed this so much. He didn't cry like she did. But she guessed it was because he had cried so many tears already, he didn't have any more. She pulled back a little and put her hands on his face. He looked so hollow and it broke her heart to see him like this.

He closed his eyes, as if giving her permission. She slowly pulled his face toward hers until their lips touched and closed her eyes as well. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her toward him until she was on his lap.

After a few seconds, they broke the kiss. She buried her face on his chest and whispered the words she had been dying to say to him. "I love you."

She could feel his body tensed against hers for a few seconds. But after a moment, he put his head on hers, kissing the top of her head and she got the answer she had always wanted. "I love you too."

* * *

The party ground turned into a dance hall. The DJ played the slow song and one by one, couples filled the yard to dance. Tsukuyo watched several people she knew. She spotted Kotarou dancing with Ikumatsu and Oboro with Tetsuko. She also saw Kagura dancing with Sougo and Kamui with Soyo. She saw Hijikata, dancing with a short sandy-blonde haired girl. Gintoki had told her that it was his girlfriend, Sougo's older sister. She smiled as she saw Tae dancing with Kondo. Kondo looked like he was in heaven while Tae scowled. Tsukuyo imagined that she had finally relented after he asked her to dance over and over again. She watched Kyuubei, sitting in a table with her family butler, Tojo. She didn't dance, likely due to still being awkward with physical contact with males. But he seemed to be really content just sitting beside her. Tsukuyo also spotted Ayame dancing with her childhood friend Hattori. They both looked so unwilling to do it that Tsukuyo had a suspicion that they were forced into it. Ayame sometimes glanced at her direction, probably looking at her dance partner.

"Hey, you're not focusing on me. You could step on my foot you know." She turned to look at her partner, which was her silver-haired boyfriend.

"Sorry" she said, facing Gintoki and danced with him slowly. She stared at him. The full moon illuminated his silvery white hair and made his fiery red eyes glint in the dark. The view reminded her of what she saw during the fire back then. Gleaming silver and flaming red...

"Hey, what's wrong Tsukuyo? You stop dancing."

She was snapped from her reverie and shook her head. "It's nothing. Sorry." They danced again slowly as Tsukuyo kept her eyes on Gintoki. "Gintoki?"

"Yeah?"

She hugged him and put her head on his shoulder. "I just want you to know that whatever happened to you in your past, I will always love you."

Tsukuyo could feel Gintoki's body tensed. He hugged her back slowly as they kept dancing in that position. "I know... Thank you..."

In another corner, Shinsuke was standing while watching the couples dancing. He was content just being there alone when suddenly he heard a shriek.

"Shinsuke-kun! Let's dance!" Matako shouted, running to him.

"Shit" he mumbled. He turned his body around, ready to run when another pair of arms pulled him roughly to the dance floor. His body was turned around to face his assailant and he came face to face with his younger sister.

"Nobume, what are you-" He was startled when she put her arms around his shoulders.

"Just shut up and dance with me."

He hesitantly put his hands around her waist and they started to dance. She put her head against his shoulder to hide her burning face from him. She was confused with herself. She didn't want to be near him. And yet, she didn't want to be far away from him either. And when he was about to be snatched by Matako, she quickly snatched him first. She didn't want to see him dancing with anyone else.

Nobume felt her heart pounding, her palm sweating, and her face burning. She always felt like this around Shinsuke and she didn't know why. She remembered what Tsukuyo and Hinowa had said.

 _"It sounds like you are describing a lover, not a sibling, Nobume-chan."_

 _"Well, your description... it sounds like romantic love someone feels for another person. Not a platonic or familial bond you usually have for a sibling."_

Nobume widened her eyes and she bit her lower lip hard. _No... It can't be..._ She buried her head deeper into his chest.

"Uh, Nobume? Are you... okay?" Shinsuke asked her.

Nobume shook her head. But then she felt it... His heart... His heart was beating as well... Just as fast as hers...

Shinsuke felt her grip tightened around him. "Just... keep dancing..." she murmured.

He hesitantly pulled her even closer. He hoped she didn't notice his sweaty hands, his racing heart, or his blushing face.

At the side, Matako sighed as she stood with Bansai. "Haah... He's dancing with his sister. Oh well... Guess it can't be helped."

Bansai frowned as he observed Shinsuke dancing with Nobume. _Doesn't that look a little too intimate for a dance between siblings?_

"Wanna dance Bansai?" Matako asked him.

"Huh?" he said as he turned to her. "Didn't you want to dance with Shinsuke?"

"Well he's busy right now, as you can see. It's better than not doing anything. Come on." She pulled the confused Bansai to the dance floor.

In the house, Hinowa sat by the window, not out dancing like her sister and everyone else. But she was content, staying here in Shouyou's arms as they watched the moon while listening to the slow music from the yard. She was sitting on his lap and his arms were around her. He was playing with her hair. His hair was long, but hers was longer when she let it down completely, almost reaching her knees.

"I feel content when I am with you" he said.

"With other women?"

"No. Never."

She smiled and reached out her hand to play with his hair as well. "Then I wish we can continue like this forever. Though I know it's impossible."

He pulled her tighter against him. "I wish for that as well."

They felt their eyelids grew heavy as the slow song from the yard lulled them to sleep.

There were many things that they had to face in the future. But for now, for tonight, they just wanted to stay with their loved ones.

Otose took a drag from her cigarette as she sat at one of the tables. Seeing the dancing couples reminded her of her late husband. "Tonight, the air reeks with love."

 **This fanfic almost come its end. I am planning of making a sequel after this one. Yes, there will be more if I have time to write. Well, let's just see...**


	26. Acceptance

Shouyou opened his eyes and found that he had woken up in his own room. He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up on his futon. He remembered that he had fallen asleep in Hinowa's room beside her last night. What happened after that? Did someone move him to his room?

Shouyou got up and walked out of his room. He saw the backyard in a mess. Well, they could always deal with that later. He could always call the servants to come and clean it up. Taking the scale of the party into account, the mess was pretty mild.

He took his cell phone on the night stand and checked whether he had missed something. There's a message from his sister that said _"Meeting two days from now"_ but nothing more.

Shouyou sighed. He walked out and into the backyard. Something caught his eyes and it surprised him. There in the yard, his five children were cleaning around. Oboro and Gintoki were putting away the furniture and the equipments back into the house. Nobume was collecting the trash. Shinsuke and Kotarou were sweeping the yard.

"What are you guys doing this early in the morning?" Shouyou blurted.

The five of them turned to see him. They greeted him in unison "Morning, Dad!"

"Well, we're cleaning up of course" Gintoki replied him.

Shouyou blinked. "Why? I mean we can always call the servants here."

Shinsuke shrugged. "No reason."

"We just feel like it" Kotarou said.

"And besides, we're planning for having a camp here tonight. Remember" Nobume said.

Shouyou blinked. Now that she mentioned it, he did remember that it was part of the plan. "Oh... right... I remember..."

The five siblings continued their work. They did look a bit cheery this morning, which made Shouyou wondered what happened last night.

"What happened last night?" he asked, voicing his thought.

"Nothing special" Oboro replied.

"How about _your_ night, Dad?" Nobume asked him, her eyes expectant.

Shouyou raised an eyebrow. "It's fine I guess."

Gintoki smirked. "Just fine?"

"Well..."

"How's the night with Hinowa-san then? Because we found you two sleeping in each other's arms in her room last night."

Shouyou widened his eyes and instantly, he knew where this was going. He cleared his throat, a small blush spred on his cheek, which didn't go unnoticed by his grinning children. "Oh... well... that... um..."

Gintoki, Kotarou, Shinsuke, Nobume and Oboro grinned at each other. It was rare for them to see their father at a lost for words.

Shouyou cleared his throat again, clearly embarrassed. "So you were the ones who moved me to my room."

"Well yeah. After we found you" Gintoki said.

"Just to let you know. Tsukuyo-san and Seita-kun saw it too" Oboro added.

Shouyou froze in place. His face turned pale. "Oh... really?... I see..." He coughed. "Actually..."

"Did you have sex?" Nobume asked outright. Her father frowned.

"No. And please don't ask that kind of question first."

"Then what are you doing?" Kotarou asked eagerly.

"We're just talking."

"Is that so?" Shinsuke asked.

" _Yes_ " he said, emphasizing it.

"About what?" Oboro asked, as curious as the others.

"Oh, will you just-"

"You're hiding something" Gintoki said.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

They looked at him expectantly and he knew they wouldn't leave him alone until he told them everything. Shouyou sighed.

"Dad, I've been meaning to ask you this..." They all turned to Oboro. "Does Hinowa-san know about... well about us?" Oboro asked. After hearing his question, the rest of the siblings turned to their father questioningly.

Shouyou's face turned blank. "You can say that she knows the gist." All of them, except for Gintoki, widened their eyes in surprise. "But she has promised me not to tell anyone. She doesn't know the detail either so you don't have to worry."

"Still, she knows right?" Shinsuke asked him.

Shouyou nodded. They all went silent.

"And... she's okay with it?" Shinsuke asked.

Shouyou nodded again, smiling a little. "Yes."

Kotarou smiled in relief. "She's really kind."

Shouyou smiled wider, his eyes gleamed. "Yes she is."

"Dad, you're glowing" Nobume said. Shouyou looked down, a blush spread on his cheeks. The five siblings snickered.

"I can't believe I see the day you're blushing like a love-struck teenage boy, Dad" Gintoki commented. "Is she that good?"

Shouyou took a deep breath and looked up. "She was the first woman who accepted me even after knowing what I did."

The five of them froze. "Accept you... you mean... you are serious with her?" Oboro asked.

Shouyou looked at him. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Yes" Oboro said. "You know what could happen to her if she gets involved. Gintoki's case is already enough-"

"Hey!"

"But he's not really worrying. But you..." Oboro frowned. Shouyou smiled sadly.

"I know. I told her the same thing too. But she insisted."

They looked up at him in surprise. "She insisted. Does that mean..." Kotarou said.

Shouyou nodded. The five Yoshida siblings looked at their father in astonishment and then at each other. Their feelings were jumbled at the moment, from surprise, worry, and joy. They then looked at their father again. Shouyou still looked as calm and serene as ever. But there was something different from him. There's a certain peace in the way he smiled, a certain glow in his expression, and a certain clarity in his eyes. They knew that some of the burdens in his heart had been lifted and it was thanks to Hinowa. She made him happy. And he loved her for it. And for them, if she made their father happy, then they were happy. Besides, they liked Hinowa. They knew that she was a really kind person.

They slowly smiled. "Alright, if that's the case" Oboro said, finally.

Shouyou smiled gratefully at his children. "Thank you. I'm glad you understand."

Shinsuke raised his hand, as if asking for permission. "Yes, Shinsuke?"

"Are we expecting a mother soon, then?"

* * *

Hinowa opened her eyes slowly and yawned. She blinked, trying to make her head clear. She looked to her right and found her sister, sleeping. She looked to her left, and saw her son, as deep in slumber as his aunt. She sat up and realized that she was wearing her pajamas and was sleeping in her futon.

Hinowa remembered falling asleep in Shouyou's arms last night. She put a hand on her mouth and blushed brightly.

She was reminded of what happened between them. They had kissed. She had said she loved him. And he had said that he loved her too. It all felt like a dream.

 _Did that really happen?_

Hinowa slowly crawled toward her wheelchair. She needed to take a bath to clear her mind. She went to the bathroom to have a quick shower. After she came back half an hour later, her younger sister and son had already woken up.

"Good morning" Hinowa greeted them.

"Morning, Mom!" Seita said energetically.

"Morning..." Tsukuyo said, stretching her body. She yawned.

"Still sleepy, dear?"

"A little. I went to bed late last night."

"But it seems that you were having fun."

"Yes, I guess. You too... Except for the part with Jennifer. You seem to have a great night."

Hinowa widened her eyes. "A great night?"

Tsukuyo smiled. "With Shouyou-san."

Hinowa didn't respond for a moment. After a few seconds, her face reddened and she looked down in embarrassment. She looked like a child, being caught by her mother with her hand in a cookie jar at midnight.

Tsukuyo giggled. "I can't believe I see the day you're blushing like a love-struck teenage girl, Nee-san."

Hinowa's face reddened at her sister's comment.

Seita ran to his mother. "Mom, does that mean you and Shouyou-san is dating right now? Like Tsukuyo-nee and Gin-nii?"

Hinowa blinked. She honestly didn't know what to say to that. "What would you say if I say yes?"

Seita smiled widely, his eyes sparkling. "Is that mean you're gonna marry? Is Shouyou-san going to be my Dad? Are we going to live with them?"

"Calm down, Seita. Mom needs time to think and comprehend things" Hinowa said. She took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. She then met her sister and son's expectant eyes.

"Shouyou-san and I... Well... We were talking last night and... we really like each other." Tsukuyo and Seita exchanged excited look. "But... we still need to ask your permission about this... That is... if we want to go on-"

"I accept it" Tsukuyo said.

"Me too!" Seita exclaimed. "I'm going to have a Daddy!"

Hinowa smiled a little at his enthusiasm. "Don't think about it too far yet, Seita. We're just starting a relationship here. We want to take things slow first. Marriage is something that is still far off." Hinowa then let out a sigh. "And I still don't know whether his children agree to this."

"Oh, they agree. Don't worry" Tsukuyo said. Hinowa turned to her in confusion. "They already knew about it from last night. All of us found you two in this room, sleeping while hugging each other. We even took a picture. See this?" Tsukuyo pulled open her cell phone and show her sister the photo of her and Shouyou sleeping next to each other.

Hinowa widened her eyes and gaped. Her blush came back full. "YOU DID NOT!"

Tsukuyo grinned. "Oh yes we did. Right, Seita?"

Seita nodded with a toothy grin of his own. Hinowa put her hands on her face, feeling so embarrassed beyond belief to be caught not only by her family, but by Shouyou's children. Granted, they were only sleeping next to each other, but still.

"What're you doing last night? Were you doing adult things together?"

"SEITA!"

* * *

That night, the group had a camping in Yoshida villa's large backyard. The backyard was clean now and it was big enough to look like a small field. They wanted to go to the top of the mountain but they were going home tomorrow, so they decided to camp in the house. They put up tents and made a bonfire. Oboro and Nobume were making some barbeques while the others sat around the fire. Everyone had found out about Shouyou and Hinowa's new relationship and spent the whole night teasing the hell out of the couple about it, especially Gintoki and Tsukuyo, in revenge mode against their father and sister for teasing them about their relationship prior to this.

"Gosh, they look so awkward around each other" Gintoki said, watching the new couple sitting side by side in front of the fire. Oboro gave Shouyou and Hinowa their barbeques on the same plate, and they were awkwardly eating together, with small blush on their cheeks.

Gintoki snickered. "They're the adults here. And yet, they look like teenage couple on their first date."

Tsukuyo smiled as well. "Well, we were like that too when we first dating." The young couple sat opposite the older couple and leaned against each other.

"You know... when we invited you to go to vacation with us... I never expected things to turn out this way" Gintoki told her.

Tsukuyo smiled. "Me too. There're so many revelations. And I believe Shouyou-san and Nee-san is not the only new couple here. There are more to come." She glanced at Shinsuke and Nobume, who argued about the size of the meat beside the cooking table. "Well, either way if your father and my sister marry someday, all of us will really become family."

Gintoki's face suddenly turned pale. "I just thought of something really weird." Tsukuyo looked at him questioningly. "If Dad and Hinowa-san marry... then I'll feel like... I'm dating my aunt."

Tsukuyo's face turned pale. "Oh my God, don't say it like that!"

"But that's the truth!"

"I know, but don't say that!"

"And I don't know what to call her. Okaa-san or Nee-san?"

"Hey, stop that!"

"And what're you going to call him? Otou-san or Nii-san?"

"I don't know! I never think of that and I don't want to think of that."

"You're dating your future nephew."

"Gosh, you're making me feel weird too!"

Gintoki and Tsukuyo blinked at each other. After a second, they laughed together. It sounded so ridiculous. Well, they didn't care about such trivial matters. The most important thing was the happiness of their family.

"Oh you're right. This is ridiculous" Gintoki said. "They haven't even married yet."

"I think they still need to take time. They've never been in this kind of relationship before. And marriage is still far away" Tsukuyo said.

It's true. His whole life, Shouyou only focused himself on his work and his children. His past still haunted him until today and it made him feel unworthy of love so relationship with a woman is out of the question. This was the first time for him and he was still learning. And Hinowa, despite her past, never felt attached to any man before. It was her first time experiencing romantic love and she still didn't know what to do with it. Her previous experiences with men were not pleasant and she would want to take things slow. This relationship would take time, but Gintoki and Tsukuyo believed that it would be rewarding in the future. At least the older couple looked really happy and that was more than enough for all of them.

Gintoki stretched his body and yawned. "Well, you better prepare for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"We're going home remember?"


	27. Going Home

**At last...**

The next day, the group was finally going home. Shouyou had an important meeting tomorrow so they had to arrive home today. Just like when they departed, Gintoki and Tsukuyo rode the motorcycle while the rest were riding the van. Some of their luggage, and of course Nobume's presents, had been brought home by the servants in another car, so the van was quiet spacious now. They arrived at Hoshina family house to drop them off. But they decided to stay there for a while.

"Here, have some tea!" Hinowa said, as she and Tsukuyo walked into the living room with the trays of tea in hands.

"Thank you!" they chorused. The Yoshidas decided to stay and chat for a while before going back to their house.

"I'm sorry that we can't give much" Tsukuyo said. "Our house is not as large as yours."

Shouyou smiled and waved his hand. "That is alright." He looked around. "The place is small but everything is neat and clean. It feels so... homely" he said with such an appreciative smile and they were happy to hear that.

"Yeah. It sure is not as big as our house. But it's nice and cozy here" Shinsuke said. The others nodded.

"Well, thank you for the compliment" Hinowa replied, smiling.

"Hey Nobume, what's that in your bag?" Gintoki asked as he indicated Nobume's backpack, something protruding out of it. It looked like a large box.

"Oh, this? This is your present for me." She then blinked. "Oh, I almost forgot. I haven't opened it yet" she said as she opened her bag and took out a large blue box with pink ribbons and flowers on it.

"I thought you already sent all your gifts to the house" Kotarou said.

Nobume grinned. "Well this one is special, because it's from you guys. Now I want to see what's inside." Hinowa fidgeted a little, remembering that her gift was also in there. The clothes were all her creation and she hoped it was to Nobume's liking.

"Wow!" Everyone peered around Nobume's shoulders to see the dresses inside it. There lay a dark pink kimono with blue and white floral pattern. The obi was white, with pink flowers. Nobume lifted the kimono out of the box and under it, was a long red cheongsam dress, with the image of a golden tiger at the front and a golden dragon at the back. Both dresses were made of Chinese silk.

"They're beautiful" Nobume whispered. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the dresses.

Hinowa smiled in relief and satisfaction. _Thank goodness, she likes it._

"Do you like it?" Shouyou asked her.

"Yes, very! Where did you get these dresses?" Nobume asked her father and brothers.

Shouyou smiled. "Actually, Hinowa-san made it for us."

Nobume turned to Hinowa in surprise. "You made these, Hinowa-san?"

Hinowa nodded, smiling shyly.

"They're beautiful! Oh thank you! Wait, when did you have time to make them?"

"Remember when I said I asked her to make some clothes for me that she had to stay in Nishikiya? She was actually making your dresses" her father answered.

"I see. And you made these dresses in only two nights?"

"Well, I didn't do it alone. Ikumatsu-san and the workers in Nishikiya helped me" Hinowa said.

"Still... These are beautiful Hinowa-san. Thank you." Hinowa smiled at the compliment.

Nobume lifted the cheongsam from the box to look at it more closely, but she found another dress under it, covered by wrapping paper. "Hey, there's another dress here."

Hinowa fidgeted and Tsukuyo understood. It's the third dress she made as a gift from them. "It's actually from us... It's our gift for you" Hinowa said.

"Oh, you don't have to Hinowa-san. But thank you." Nobume pulled the dress out of the box and opened the wrapping paper. She widened her eyes. It was a short strapless white tulle dress, with black floral pattern. She held the dress in the air. "This is beautiful. I can't believe you make this for me, Hinowa-san."

"I'm not doing it alone. I really hope you like it."

"I do." The girl smiled warmly at the woman. "Thank you." Hinowa smiled back at her.

"Now even I am thinking of asking you to make some clothes for me" Gintoki commented.

"I want to order some too. If you don't mind" Oboro said.

"Me too. Your skill as a tailor is really great!" Kotarou said.

Shinsuke nodded. "You're actually the best one I've met so far."

"Mom is the best sewer in Japan!" Seita exclaimed.

Hinowa blushed a little at the compliments. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Tsukuyo smiling at her. "I told you thousands of time how great you are" she told her and Hinowa smiled back at her.

Shouyou smiled at his lover. "She really is the best seamstress I've ever met."

The group spent the evening chatting with each other. The Yoshidas decided to stay for dinner in Hoshina family house.

"You should come to our house too, Hinowa-san, Seita-kun. Tsukuyo-san has visited before, but you two have never seen our house right?" Kotarou said.

Hinowa nodded. "No. But we've heard the story from Tsukuyo."

"Is it big?" Seita asked curiously.

"Yes it is. At least bigger than here."

"I heard you have swimming pool! And mini theater!"

Oboro nodded. "Yes, we do."

"I want to see it!" Seita said enthusiastically.

"Then you should visit sometimes. You too Hinowa-san."

"We will, Kotarou-kun. Thank you for the invitation."

"It'll be your house too after you marry our father." Hinowa blushed deep red and Shouyou frowned. The others laughed out loud.

In the middle of the talk, Hinowa tugged Shouyou's sleeve. He turned to her and blinked when she motioned for him to follow her. They slipped out of the living room without the kids noticing. Hinowa led him to her bedroom as she wheeled herself toward her cupboard.

"So how was the vacation?" he asked her.

Hinowa smiled a little. "It was fun. Some things happened but it's mostly enjoyable." She slowly turned her head to look at him. "And I never expected to see you again."

Shouyou raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A little bit of both? But it's mostly a good thing I guess" she said, giggling. She then stopped and looked at him with a fond smile. "I didn't expect to find love in this vacation."

He smiled and walked toward her. He put his hands on her shoulders from behind and she put her hand on top of his. "Well I'm glad to meet you two" he said, giving her shoulders a gentle squeze. She leaned her head on his stomach. "Are you going to take Ikumatsu-san's offer to work in Nishikiya?"

Hinowa went quiet for a while. "To be honest, at first, I wasn't very confident with my skill. I mean, Nishikiya is the best clothing brand in this country. And... it seems so big I didn't know if I can handle it." She smiled slowly. "But I want to try. I want to learn more and develop my skills. I think I can handle the extra work and stress."

He smiled and chuckled. "I believe you can do it."

"Oh, but I forgot to tell Ikumatsu-san about it."

"I know. That's why she asked me to give you her phone numbers."

Hinow widened her eyes. "She did?"

"Yes. You haven't answered even after we went home so she told me to ask you about it. And give her phone numbers to you so you can tell her yourself."

Shouyou pulled out his cell phone. "Tell me your numbers. I'll send it to you."

Hinowa gave him her phone numbers and he sent Ikumatsu's numbers through email. Hinowa checked her phone and saw the message. "Will I have to go to the district every day?"

"No, of course not. There is a branch store near our school. It's even bigger than the one in the shopping district since it's in the middle of the city. You can work there."

Hinowa nodded and let out a sigh.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little. This is very new to me. Working as a designer in a company as big as Nishikiya."

Shouyou smiled at her. "I know you can do it."

Hinowa smiled at him. "Thank you." She blinked and turned back to the cupboard. "I almost forgot." She pulled something from under the pile of clothes.

Shouyou widened his eyes as she held a neatly folded, black trench coat in her hands. "You still have it" he said in suprised tone.

"I always keep it. For the past ten years. I don't know why. None of our family members can wear this" she said, tracing her fingers on the coat on her lap. "This coat always reminded me of you and it felt so wrong whenever I thought of giving it to someone else. So I just kept it hidden among my clothes." She smiled at him. "Maybe I unconsciously kept it so I can give it back to you."

Hinowa handed the coat to Shouyou. As he took it, the fabric felt slik to the touch and it smelt nice. As if it had just come out of the dryer. Shouyou smiled. No one wore it, and yet, she still washed it regularly.

He leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for giving it back to me."

The two adults walked back to the living room, with Shouyou hiding his trench coat under his jacket.

"Where've you been? Don't tell me you're doing something naughty somewhere without us knowing" Gintoki said, playfully. The others grinned and some giggled. Hinowa blushed deeply.

"Gintoki..." Shouyou said, with warning tone.

Gintoki shrugged. "What?"

They continued their chat and ate dinner in the living room while watching TV. Without them noticing, it was already 11 p.m. The Yoshidas decided to go home and bad the Hoshinas good bye for the night.

"This vacation was really eventful, don't you think?" Tsukuyo said to her sister after she put Seita to bed.

Hinowa nodded. "Yes. But it is fun."

"And I never imagined that you would fall in love Nee-san."

Hinowa blushed again for the umpteenth time and Tsukuyo giggled. "Oh, hush! Now go to sleep. You must be tired."

"Yes I am" Tsukuyo said, yawning. She walked toward her bedroom when she saw her sister wheeling herself into the kitchen. "What about you Nee-san?"

"I'm going to clean up for while."

"Want me to help?"

"No, it's alright. It won't be long. Just go to sleep, Tsukuyo."

Tsukuyo frowned but Hinowa smiled reassuringly at her. "Alright. You better take some rest too."

"I will."

Tsukuyo walked inside her room and Hinowa went into the kitchen. After washing the dishes and cleaning up, she went into the living room. She looked out the opened window and realized she couldn't really see the stars here, unlike in the countryside. She was startled out of her wits when her cell phone was suddenly ringing. She quickly picked up the phone, not wanting to wake Seita or Tsukuyo with the ringing.

"Yes?"

 _"_ _Hinowa?"_

Her heart skipped and she widened her eyes. "Shouyou, what's wrong? Why are you calling at this hour?"

 _"_ _There's nothing wrong. I just want to hear your voice."_

She blushed. "That's not an excuse! I mean, it's midnight."

 _"_ _Do I have to have a reason to call you?"_

She went quiet and pondered about this. She sighed. There was a flutter inside her stomach. A happy flutter. "Well... no... it's not..." She looked out the window again. The clouds moved away, revealing the bright moon. She wondered if he saw it too.

 _"_ _Do you have time to talk? Or do you want to go to bed already?"_

She smiled as she put her elbows on the window sill, looking up at the sky. "I always have time for you."

* * *

Shouyou walked along the long corridors, feeling his old trench coat with his hands. It's been a long time since he last wore it. He didn't know why he wore it today. He felt like wearing it again after what happened yesterday.

He arrived in front of the glass double doors and opened it. There in the room, was a large table with the people sitting around it. At one side, sat the Yato couple, Kouka and Kankou, his sister and brother in law. On the other side, sat Matsudaira Katakuriko, the Commissioner of National Police Agency and owner of Shinsengumi, and Sasaki Isaburo, owner of Mimawarigumi. At the head of the table, sat the Prime Minister, Tokugawa Shigeshige. Shouyou took a sit at the opposite side of the Prime Minister.

"I am sorry for being a bit late. So what are the new information regarding Tendoshuu?"

 **[The End]**

 **For now at least.**

 **There is a sequel already coming up, titled "Family Secret" just to inform you  
**

 **Thank you to all my readers, especially those who review** **, follow and favorite** **. I want to thank all of you personally, but I'm just too lazy to type, so yeah...**

 **Thank you and I hope you're also willing to read the sequel.  
**

 **SEE YOU LATER.**


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